When Time Is Up (Full Story)
by gluegirl56
Summary: A hidden address in Janus own database lead to an unexplored and unknown world, to danger and destruction, to a divided and distrusting people on the brink of war, to a tribe people with old ancient tie ins. Sheppard gets separated from his team and his journey back is a struggle for survival. Will they find each other again before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Stargate Atlantis – When Time Is Up (Full Story)**

 _Disclaimer:_ Stargate Atlantis is not my creation and doesn't belong to me. I merely wish to play around with a few marvellous characters for a while and _hopefully_ contribute with a good story.

 _Characters:_ I like to involve as many of the regulars as I can but this one is very Sheppard-centric with OC's.

 _Genre:_ Hurt/comfort, adventure, drama

 _Time/Spoilers:_ The very beginning of season four/ sort of for the episode Sunday

 _Summary:_ After the destruction of the Asuran home world and the death of Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Colonel John Sheppard is ordered to take temporary command of the whole expedition until Colonel Carter has settled everything on earth. Sitting on two chairs, dealing mostly with military and civilian, paperwork Sheppard can't wait to get off world. When opportunity presents itself he takes it. However, will he get back before time is up?

 _Beta_ : PuddleJ – I owe you one ;)

OOOOOO

 **Chapter One – And So It Begins**

John Sheppard sighed, then closed his eyes and reached up to rub his forehead. He'd been sitting on his ass most of the day, locked up in his office trying to sort out the mess on his desk. Not a man fond of paperwork he'd let the reports, the duty rosters, the programs for training exercises and the applications of new recruits from Stargate Command wait as long as possible. The result being that he now had a mountain of paperwork to sort out. In all fairness he'd attended other things that demanded his attention, such as the most important debriefings with the SGC and the IOA back on Earth. He'd been writing condolences to families that had lost their loved ones during their last showdown with the Asurans. The hardest one being Elizabeth Weir's considering he refused to accept her death in the hands of the Asurans. However, the SGC had written her off despite his protests.

He sighed in frustration, hands behind his neck as he leaned backwards in his office chair. He cursed himself as he realised that he'd broken his promise to himself never to let anyone get close enough. Yet he'd let Elizabeth come very close, as close as his team if not closer and now it hurt like nothing else. Her MIA status forming a void in his heart, the uncertainty of ever seeing her again was almost worse than knowing she was truly gone.

Carson Beckett was different because, even if he blamed himself for being unable to protect the man, he knew that the charming Scottish doctor was dead, well and truly dead.

Sheppard reached up to rub his temples as a dull headache was threatening to increase in intensity. What he would give to get off world and see something else than the four walls of his office and disappear from the diplomatic meddling between the various teams and departments in the city.

" _Sheppard,"_ a very familiar voice came over the radio, swiftly ending his brooding and self-pity.

John smirked as he touched the button in his ear to transmit a reply. "Yes, Rodney," he drawled, managing to sound very disinterested in what the scientist wanted.

However, Rodney McKay seemed oblivious to the response as he plunged into an explanation.

" _It's been there all along, right under our noses,"_ he said, sounding like he'd just cracked the code to a safe containing the largest treasure on earth.

"From the beginning, Rodney," John admonished, although with a teasing undertone.

" _What? Oh, come on Sheppard,"_ Rodney snapped unamused. _"You know what I'm talking about. You do lead the expedition at the moment – civilian and military issues."_

John dropped the act. "You've found another Ancient outpost?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he leaned forward in his chair.

" _Even better,"_ the scientist replied jovially. _"The address retrieved is not in our database but was hidden away in a separate data storage in Janus's lab."_

"Okay," John replied carefully. "Now, why would Janus have that address and not…"

Rodney couldn't contain himself and cut him short.

" _I believe it's one of those so called secret worlds where he conducted his experiments. Remember that the council wasn't too amused by what he was doing,"_ the scientist said.

When John didn't reply to his statement Rodney continued. _"When do we leave?"_ He asked.

OOOOOO

/Thirty-Six hours later/

John Sheppard stared at the stargate as it crashed to the ground in front of him. The shockwave reversed his mad dash toward safety in Atlantis to the extent that it hurled him backwards. He staggered and fell as his injured leg buckled, not able to support him any longer. He went down hard, falling backwards, his knee twisting at an agonising angle. He just had enough time to twist around enough so that he could cushion the impact with his hands. Dust and debris swirled around him as he lay panting on the ground and he closed his eyes to prevent the sand from reaching them. He coughed as he involuntarily inhaled a large portion of the air and his nostrils flared.

He didn't know how long he lay there but when he finally lifted his head and glanced around he noticed he was alone. The people who'd been following them, hunting them, as they ran toward the gate had disappeared. Instead an eerie silence had settled over the area. With a groan, he turned on his back and stared up at the ominous sky, searching for the Lantean ship that had roamed above their heads moments ago. As he had expected, it was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that even hinted that it had been there in the first place was the smoke pillars that rose around him as the forest had been set on fire. A million thoughts competed for his attention. Who were they? Where did they find the ship? Why did they fire at his team?

His reverie was broken as rain hit his face and he gazed up at large storm clouds coming in from the east. The rain increased in intensity from a drizzle to a heavy downpour, and with some effort he managed to drag himself toward a large tree, standing not far from where the gate had been standing. Grimacing while breathing heavily, he propped himself up against the trunk, protected from the rain. The heavily built gate lay before him in a heap; cracked in so many places he didn't dare to think what would happen should someone dial it. At least his team had managed to get back in one piece, or so he hoped. He refused to believe otherwise; couldn't accept anything else.

His eyes trailed from the gate to his left leg. A broken arrow protruded from the flesh below the knee, embedded in his calf. He reached down to prod the tender area and gritted his teeth as the frayed nerve ends caused it to sting violently, before morphing into a raging fire as his hand closed around the arrow.

"Way to go, John," he scolded himself. "You're so screwed."

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	2. A Team Divided

**Chapter Two – A Team Divided**

Doctor Rodney McKay involuntarily ducked, skidding to a halt in Atlantis' gate room, as a sizzling sound echoed through the unstable wormhole. He turned around, hoping to see his teammates emerge behind him.

The scientist heard Chuck's voice from above, shouting to Lorne, who was standing next to him, that he couldn't keep the wormhole open any longer.

There was a foreboding creak that drew Rodney's attention back to the gate. "Come on," he whispered.

Seconds later, Ronon and Teyla emerged from the event horizon. Rodney looked eagerly behind them, expecting Sheppard to materialise at any time, but the colonel didn't arrive. A sickening bang echoed through the gate, causing the whole construction to shudder and then the wormhole disconnected, leaving the scientist to stare at the beautifully arched windows behind the stargate.

He swallowed and felt the blood drain from his face, an expression of incomprehension creasing his features that was replaced by a look of horror as he realised what had just happened in front of him. "No," he uttered defiantly, refusing to believe what he'd just witnessed.

Teyla, hands on her knees, straightened and stared at the gate in confusion. "John," she whispered faintly.

"Where's Sheppard?" Ronon demanded, his voice finalising that their friend hadn't returned with them.

"Dial back!" Lorne commanded the gate technician, not liking the situation.

Chuck did as he was told, not hesitating a second, but as the last chevron was dialled the gate turned back into offline mode. He tried again, dialling the sequence - the stargate lit up, the symbols locked in place. He hesitated slightly and turned to the major as he called up the last symbol.

Lorne nodded grimly at him.

Chuck pressed the button, held his breath and hoped for something to happen but the stargate shut down, refusing to connect to the planet.

Down below, Rodney stood frozen to the spot. If Sheppard had been in the wormhole when it shut down there was nowhere he could be rematerialized, he would have died instantly. "No, no, no," the scientist repeated hastily. "He can't be."

"Redial!" Ronon shouted, glaring up at the control room.

Lorne appeared on the gangway to Elizabeth's former office, looking grim. "It's no use," he said cautiously.

"We leave no one behind," Ronon returned with a growl.

Lorne nodded at Chuck, wordlessly he repeated the procedure from before, needing no further encouragement. The event followed the same pattern; the stargate didn't dial out.

"I'm sorry," the stricken technician said. "I can't make a stable connection."

Rodney leapt up the stairs, Ronon and Teyla not far behind him.

"They must have done something to the gate, damaged it somehow," Rodney said tersely. "Blown it up – I don't know."

"Who?" Evan asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Travellers," Ronon explained succinctly.

"Travellers?" the major echoed curiously, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Space gypsies," Rodney added coldly, not the least amused, as he walked over to a workstation at the back of the room.

Ignoring the remark, Lorne turned to Teyla for an explanation. "Just travellers?" he questioned. "No name? No belonging?"

The Athosian sighed. "I'm afraid not, Major. They are simply travellers. They consist of people from various planets in the Pegasus galaxy. Since Wraith have culled and plundered various planets, taken millions of lives beforehand, a few settlers once decided to flee to the only place they deemed safe."

"Space," McKay clarified.

Lorne barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"They've grown in number since then, people have joined them in hope for something better than living in shelters, not knowing when the Wraith will attack. The travellers rarely show themselves, they prefer to keep in the dark, managing their own business. I have only heard rumors about them," Teyla explained further.

"Basically, you think a nomadic space living people just blew the gate on P3X-667 sky high?" Lorne asked sceptically.

McKay turned around from the screen he was studying and turned to Sheppard's 2IC. "I know it seems a bit far-fetched for your inferior military mind to take in Major, but that seems to be the only explanation we have at the moment," he said sharply.

Evan nodded with a frown. "Since you left our CO at the planet…" he began, knowing that the doctor didn't really mean the harsh words.

"Yeah, let's hope so…" Rodney interrupted, riled up by the events.

Lorne decided to change tactic. "…My inferior military mind will take care of matters at hand," he countered with a smirk. "Believe me, I really want him back, his paperwork is more than I can handle."

"Space charts?" Radek Zelenka suggested, speaking up for the first time since the team had come back. The Czech had been showing Lorne the latest upgrades on the power conduits at the time of arrival.

The only one nodding and not staring at him with a blank face was Rodney.

"You're on to something Radek, but I'm faster," he replied. "I'm trying to locate the closest space gate, then I'm taking a jumper, travel there and haul Sheppard's ass back."

"Sounds good to me," Ronon added.

"Even though it's my turn to be rescued, not his," McKay mumbled.

"We're all anxious to get John back," Teyla said softly, encouraging Rodney to work faster.

Radek glanced at the numbers and Ancient search protocols displayed on the large screen in the middle of the room. "I hate to sound like a…what do you call it? Party-crasher? But P3X-667…"

He was cut short as a sudden chirping sound from the main computer indicated that a match had been found.

McKay who'd turned toward Zelenka whirled around to face the screen once again and started punching in additional commands, calling up schematics and withdrew the information necessary based on his calculations.

The screen displayed a match of the properties the scientist had asked for.

"Let's go," Ronon commanded with urgency, already heading for the jumper bay above the gate room.

"Crap," Rodney whined, causing the Satedan to stop dead in his tracks.

"What?" he growled, not liking any sort of hold up.

"It's several days away from the planet by jumper," Rodney explained, his voice sounding hollow all of a sudden as the realisation dawned on him.

"John was injured," Teyla filled in and, despite the fact that she tried to hide it, her worry shone right through in her voice.

Lorne scrunched his face, not liking what he heard. "Dial the SGC," he said curtly to the gate technician.

"Yes, sir," Chuck replied.

Teyla watched the stargate symbols lit up, one by one, until the last chevron locked into position. The Pegasus stargate quickly established a connection with the Milky Way stargate back in the Cheyenne mountain complex on Earth. It was confirmed by the blue shimmering of a puddle and Teyla was both relieved and worried at the same time. It meant that the fault was definitely at Sheppard's end.

"Sending the Iris code," Chuck informed and then nodded to Evan.

"Stargate Command, this is Atlantis," Lorne called, anxiously waiting for a reply. The tension high in the gate room.

" _Atlantis?"_ A familiar voice drawled, almost childishly at the other end.

"General O'Neill?" Evan asked curiously.

" _Is that you, Lorne?"_ the general wondered aloud.

"Yes, sir," the major confirmed. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

" _Likewise, Major,"_ he returned sarcastically. _"Love the chit chat, Major but was there a point to this conversation?"_

Lorne hung his head and clasped his hands behind his back, staring into the blue puddle, imagining the look on the general's face. "I've lost my CO, sir," he said casually.

" _Oh,"_ came the somewhat surprised reply.

"I need to know where the Apollo is, also I would like to speak with Colonel Carter," Evan stated.

" _Well, that might be a problem,"_ O'Neill returned cautiously. _"You see I've just waved Carter off. She hitched a ride back to you with Colonel Ellis. They left 30 minutes ago"._

"You've got to be kidding me," Rodney muttered at the statement. "By the way what's wrong with the video feed?"

" _Is that McKay?"_ O'Neill asked curiously. _"And no, there isn't anything wrong with it. It's down for maintenance."_

"So, no help there then?" Evan returned dejectedly, ignoring the general's question and then statement to McKay.

" _Sorry, Lorne_ _. You're on your own,"_ the former SG-1 team leader returned.

"Never here when needed," Rodney said in annoyance.

" _What's that, McKay?"_ O'Neill piped up.

"Just thinking out loud," the Canadian scientist returned over the open channel.

" _Well, in the future, don't,"_ the general quipped; Rodney had a way of rubbing him the wrong way. _"Listen, Lorne. Do I want to know how the Sheppard got lost?"_

"It's…complicated, sir," came the diplomatic reply.

" _With him?"_ O'Neill asked dryly. _"Isn't it always?"_

"As much as I love hearing your conversation, can we return to more important matters?" McKay questioned. "Time is of essence here."

O'Neill refrained from rolling his eyes at the snarky, demanding voice that filled the loudspeakers back at the SGC. _"A shame, Major, that you didn't lose him instead_ ," he muttered.

"Oh, ha ha," McKay returned sarcastically. "I heard that."

" _As I said, I can't help you, Lorne,"_ the general said regrettably.

"We'll figure something out," Evan assured him. "Somehow," he added dejectedly under his breath as the connection ended.

"Jumper?" Ronon asked impatiently.

Rodney turned to look at him in surprise, having forgotten the Satedan was even there in the first place. "Why…yes…of course," he mumbled.

Teyla turned to Lorne. "We'll bring him back," she said. And it was a word of promise she intended to keep.

OOOOOO

15 minutes later Jumper three had been stocked with food rations, supplies, extra medical kits and, had Keller had anything to say, she would probably have had a medic with them too.

Lorne reached up to rub his forehead wearily, letting out a deep sigh as the jumper was lowered into the gate room. He watched as the stargate lit up at the commands given from the jumper. "Safe journey," he said, watching the ancient gate ship disappear through the open wormhole.

He took a few steps forward from where he stood on the gangway to what used to be Doctor Elizabeth Weir's office and closed his fingers around the railing. Doctor Carson Beckett, Doctor Elizabeth Weir, countless marines and several scientists had once walked through the gate never to return again. He saw their faces before him; he didn't recall all the names, but he saw their faces. Too many lost souls. The loss of the warm and smiling Scottish doctor and especially Elizabeth Weir shook the expedition to the core. If Colonel Sheppard was lost too, he didn't know what would happen.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you for your feedback on the first chapter – keep it coming ;)_


	3. Not Alone

**Chapter Three – Not Alone**

Lt. Colonel Sheppard shivered slightly where he sat, propped against a tree. He'd applied a field bandage to the arrow wound but he'd let the head stay embedded in the flesh; Carson's voice ringing in his head about the dangers of a fatal bleed. The last of the adrenaline that had surged through his body during the mad dash towards the gate was slowly leaving his system and all that remained was a lethargic feeling and a dull ache originating from the leg.

It had been a little over an hour since the Ancient ship had left the area and left the gate damaged beyond repair. Despite the initial reluctance to try and dial, curiosity overcame fear and he'd dragged himself over to the DHD. However, that seemed to be in even worse shape than the gate itself. No matter what he tried, it just wouldn't work.

He shivered again, suddenly cold, yet his upper lip and forehead was covered with a thin sheen of perspiration. He let out a low moan, drowning himself in misery, allowing himself that since he needn't be strong for anyone.

How he missed his team. He would give anything just to annoy Rodney at the moment.

"Get a grip, John," he scolded himself angrily.

He couldn't afford his attention to drift. He was a soldier, a trained soldier for God's sake. Sitting around and sulking wouldn't get him anywhere.

He glanced up at the storm-clouded sky as he felt the wind pick up even more and stared through the heavy downpour around him. The large branches of the tree provided temporary shelter but he had to move, to find something better. At least the forest fires had died down due to the rain, ridding the air of the thick smoke. The only thing that spoke of what had happened was the scorched ground. He inhaled deeply of the clean, moist, air that had previously been toxic before and irritated his airways.

The villagers had, thankfully, been spooked enough at the presence of the ancient ship not to retain their hunt for the team. Although, he needed to move because they wouldn't keep to themselves forever. He didn't know what they'd done to anger them to the extent that they'd turned against them. McKay had stepped into some sort of cave… he trailed off as it dawned on him. Ancient drawings, just like the ones Teyla had shown him once, with one exception; There had been bones and some sort of device in there. They'd set foot on holy ground. The whole thing escalated when the ship started soaring above their heads.

John chuckled ironically, casting a look at the angry flesh around the arrow, a stinging remainder of a failed first contact. Rodney had been excited about it. He believed he'd found another Ancient outpost as to where Janus had conducted secret experiments. With too much downtime the scientist had cracked a security code in Janus's lab where this address had been found.

The trouble was that no one seemed to have used the Stargate since the Lantean/Wraith war.

Sheppard carefully glanced around before reaching into a pocket to withdraw the life signs detector. He let out a relieved breath as the only mark on the screen was himself. Then his spirit sank as he realised he'd nowhere to go. The village was not an alternative - maybe they'd take care of him now that he posed no threat but they might also just dispose of him, end his misery. The bottom line was that he was unlikely to get any help.

John Sheppard was a highly skilled and competent military officer but unfortunately that wouldn't help when it came to the signs of infection his body was displaying and the woozy feeling he was experiencing. His mind was off somehow and he recognized the signs of a poison in his bloodstream.

He tried to shake the haze away from his mind and did a double take at the life signs detector as several dots appeared at the edge of the screen. The villagers was coming back for him. He groaned, getting up from the ground, then shuddered violently. He forced himself to move on, summoning all his willpower to do so.

"Pain can be ignored," he said through clenched teeth, slamming his jaws together, trying to block out the excruciating agony that came with every step.

He glanced around and then took a shallow breath, heading out in the unknown resolutely.

OOOOOO

Teyla glanced to her left with a cautious smile, yet a deep frown was displayed on her forehead. "Rodney, would you stop doing that," she said.

However, so lost in his own thoughts he didn't hear her, he continued the monotone drumming of his fingers.

"McKay, cut it out or I'll break your fingers," Ronon spoke up as he walked up to stand behind them at the front of the jumper. His voice was low and demanding. Patience having run out a long time ago.

The scientist turned his head slightly, looking completely clueless, following his gaze. "Oh," he said sheepishly, jerking his hand away.

"How much longer?" The Satedan asked pointedly.

Rodney narrowed his eyes, fixing his team mate with a glare before hastily casting a glance at his wristwatch. "Well," he began testily. "Let's see, it's been 30 minutes since you last asked and considering we've been cooped up here for five hours – give or take 68 hours?"

OOOOOO

It was turning late as Sheppard half-walked, half-dragged himself forward. He estimated he'd managed to cover a few miles through fairly thick vegetation. It reminded him of a jungle back on earth. Occasionally the landscape would shift into a large opening where the trees where so thick that no sun could reach down to the ground and nourish any other vegetation than low grass. The last mile had been a nightmare as the ground had started to incline, adding to that his vision was beginning to blur and he felt dizzy, his legs unstable.

Then, in a few seconds, the pilot went from weakened and dulled by pain to highly alert and cautious as the vegetation jostled, giving away movement ahead. John felt his heartbeat quicken with anticipation, he tightened his grip around the P90 clipped to his tac vest, brought it up to aim and awaited the unknown presence's next move. Several agonising seconds went by without anything happening, obviously they thought of the same thing – to wait out the other party.

Sheppard carefully took a step forward, stopping mid-step as a piercing scream cut through the air, chilling him to the bone. His finger tightened around the trigger as something that resembled a pig bolted from the safe spot under the low bushes.

Atlantis' military commander let out an ironic chuckle as he sank down on his knees, exhausted. "I don't believe it," he murmured. "A freaking pig."

The animal cried out again, probably as surprised at finding him there as he was. John sagged with relief, a ghost of a cheeky smile twisting his lips into an upward curl. He allowed himself some well-deserved rest. He stretched out on the moist ground, not caring that it seeped through his clothes, and let darkness claim him.

When he awakened several hours later it was with a jolt. His light sleeping luring him to dream of the events prior. He gasped as his eyes flew open and forced his shallow breaths to deepen and become more regular.

"Focus," he scolded himself, soldier training kicking into gear.

He quickly scanned the area, not that he saw much considering that darkness had settled around him, then retrieved the life signs detector. No one seemed to be venturing into this area and he had to admit he could see why. It was pitch black, the air had turned chilly and moist and all around him was heavy vegetation. He glanced up at the sky, it was beautiful, starry, but the stars where too far away to give any light.

John picked up the P90 then hesitated as he was about to switch on the flashlight. However, reminding himself that no one seemed to be around, he threw caution to the wind. Without shelter and without something to use as a heat source there was little choice but to head on. He felt his teeth starting to clatter and slammed his jaw shut to prevent it. A shudder went through his body as he gingerly rose, using the weapon to pull himself up. Unsteadily, he staggered forward over the inclined and uneven ground, using his instincts to choose a direction. Of course, there was a chance he was walking in circles but he deemed it unlikely since he was walking uphill all the time. Priding himself on good walking skills he was fairly sure he was managing a more or less straight line.

Sheppard stubbornly kept his pace, pushing forward. A mantra ran on repeat in his head, urging him to continue, one that he had come to rely on in similar situations in the past. Then, as he'd covered some ground, he felt the wind tussling his hair, pulling at his clothes. The chilly air renewed some of the energy he'd lost but there was no denying; he was running on the last reserve.

Then, as the ground seemed to even out, he came to a large clearing. Seeing lights further ahead, at an odd, downward angle, he switched the flashlight off. It was too far away for anything to register on the life signs detector but he didn't want to take any chances. Stepping out in the clearing, clad by grass only, his legs gave away and he fell. His legs no longer responded to his commands but he didn't allow himself the luxury of closing his eyes and give up just yet. Instead he crawled, running on sheer determination. After a few minutes his fingers closed around the edge of a steep cliff; it was another dead end.

John Sheppard blinked, trying to keep his drooping eyelids open. Through blurry eyes he saw, deep down in the valley, the lights of a city rivalling Atlantis in size but he couldn't make out the design. With a cautious smile he finally lay his head down to rest, giving in to the darkness that had been tugging at the edge of his vision for so long.

OOOOOO

To be continued


	4. What is This Place?

**Chapter Four – What is This Place?**

" _I'm sorry, sir,"_ a female voice spoke up.

He clung to it, the lilting voice fleeting over from a small distance.

" _It's too early to tell…"_ Another fragment of a sentence broke through the haze of his mind.

"… _no ID…"_ This time a male voice, a steady, authority oriented one. _"Military uniform…"_

Sheppard slowly drifted back into the land of the living, picking up traces of the hushed conversation taking place nearby.

"… _almost lost him,"_ it was her again, reporting to someone. _"Signs of infection, high fever…shallow breathing…"_

It took a moment for his unfocused mind to piece everything together but he realised the conversation was about him. Deciding to keep his eyes closed he did a quick self-inventory, noticing with satisfaction that nothing seemed to hurt too much and that he felt comfortably warm.

" _I expect that you can provide me with something more… shall we say, valuable in terms of information about the man when I get back,"_ the male voice said sternly.

John waited for a reply from the woman to the statement but there was none and then he heard someone turn on their heels and walk away.

"You can open your eyes now," a stern, yet amused, female voice said as she moved to stand beside him. "He has left."

Having no choice but to comply, John slowly blinked his eyes open and squirmed at the bright light. His vision was blurred at first but then, when he put all his concentration into it, the haze began to clear.

The room was white, there were no exceptions. The walls, the ceiling, the floor tiles, everything was starkly white. The only thing that stood out was the sophisticated medical equipment surrounding him. Electrodes was attached to his chest, he had a clip on his finger and an IV sneaked into the back of his hand.

"Welcome back," the woman greeted kindly.

John tore his gaze away from the monitors, displaying his vitals, and tilted his head on the pillow to face the woman. She was dressed in white, in something that bore resemblance to the scrubs that Keller and her team on Atlantis usually liked to dress him in while being an honored guest.

She was lean, yet curved, her cheekbones high and her features one of an Earth model. Her hair stood in deep contrast to the white room, being dark brown, and kept in a bun. Her golden eyes burned into his own with a questioning look, yet they displayed concern.

He couldn't help but let an ironic chuckle escape his lips. Had McKay seen her, he would never have stopped his rant about good-looking aliens and Captain Kirk.

She frowned at the unexpected reaction to her greeting. "Do you understand me?" She asked carefully.

He nodded and tried to speak, then realised that his throat was aching for water. "Yeah," he managed to croak out.

"Good," the female doctor replied with a tight smile. "Can you tell me your name?"

"After you tell me yours," he quipped, secretly noticing the armed guards standing in the doorway to the private examination room he was currently occupying.

"I'm Lani Nadim, Medical Expert and Chief of staff at Hospital Section One," she answered.

"John Sheppard," he said in return, deliberately leaving out his title.

Lani pursed her lips into a thin line, probably in frustration as his name told her nothing. However, when she spoke it was with a soft voice with an undertone of curiosity. "It's a little unusual," she let on.

Atlantis' military commander reached up with his hand to rub his aching forehead.

She scrutinized him for a moment, folded her arms across her chest, and then cast a medically trained eye at the monitors relaying his condition.

"Do you know what happened?" The doctor asked.

"Nope," Sheppard scrunched his face. "I was hoping you could tell me?" He said quickly.

Not that it was an outright lie because he didn't know how he'd ended up in the hospital bed.

"You were brought in by a military scouting party," she explained casually. "You suffered from delusions caused by high fever…"

He froze, hoping he hadn't said anything that might have given him away.

"Are you still listening to me?" M.E Nadim asked, slightly annoyed at her patient drifting off.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "Did I say something strange?"

"Nothing stranger than the elder's at their yearly council meeting after having the leaf of clear vison," she let on with a wry grin.

Sheppard made a face. "I'm not even going to ask," he returned.

She laughed now. "Something about a gate. Seemed like you were having trouble with it?" she stated with a twinkle in her eyes. "Didn't get out of the house? My lock is doing that to me too occasionally."

Sheppard let out a relieved breath. "Something like that," he said cryptically with a cautious smile. 'If she thought it was that kind of gate, then, let's keep it that way,' he thought.

"Anyway, they took you to the Medical Facility, Prime Tower, General Department," she added. "You caused a bit of a stir with Military Organizer Katan. No one normally strays that far out."

"That the guy who just left?" John asked curiously.

She confirmed his suspicions with a curt nod.

"Charming," he muttered before switching subject all together. "So, when can I get out of here?"

"Straight to the point," she returned sourly. "I take it you didn't listen very well before?"

He stared at her blankly, her smile vanishing as she turned into a steely doctor mode.

"You are lucky to be alive," Lani said truthfully. "I had my doubts about you earlier."

For a fleeting moment a look of annoyance, and something else that she couldn't quite make out, crossed Sheppard's face but it was gone in an instant. Before she could ask him anything more a nurse walked up to her and bent down to whisper in her ear.

John watched the concern and seriousness she'd displayed just a moment earlier morph into a look of annoyance. And he found himself wondering what it was all about.

As the nurse retreated, the doctor vacated the chair she'd pulled up next to him earlier. "I'm wanted elsewhere," she explained shortly, her mood darkening as she turned away.

"You never answered my question," John called after her.

OOOOOO

Medical Expert Nadim stomped out in the corridor where a man of authority waited patiently for her. His uniform spoke of someone high up in the military chain. His stance spoke of impatience but as he saw her coming his lips curled slightly upward.

"I said I would call you as soon as I knew anything more," she explained, not the least amused by his arrival.

"Now, now M.E Nadim," the officer returned stoically. "A reliable source whispered in my ear that you've been talking to the man."

"Yes, we had a little chat," she admitted, undeterred by his interrogative, demanding voice. "He told me his name."

The slender built, decorated man, in his early fifties stared down at the woman in front of him. His dark eyes were cold as he spoke up again. "What can you tell me about him?" He asked.

"There is no need for me to answer a question you already know the answer to, M.O Katan," Doctor Nadim said, her voice carefully neutral as she addressed the Military Organizer and Head of the military department.

They locked eyes for a moment, neither backing down.

"You've sent a copy of all the tests I have taken of my patient to the military facility and science lab," the doctor added pointedly. "You are able to get your hands on the same information that I am if not more."

"Very well," he returned with a dangerous smile. "What is your assessment of him then?"

"I could have given you one had you not called me away," she returned fiercely, the man had always managed to bring out the worst of her with his bullying style. A shame he was so good looking, the handsomeness was clearly wasted.

"Please understand, M.E Nadim," Katan began, regarding her seriously. "That information of this man cannot leave this hospital without my knowledge. He's to be kept separated from anyone else and never to be left alone by my guards."

The doctor's interest peaked at his words but she didn't say anything.

"I will be back later," Katan finished.

Nadim managed a nod which seemed to satisfy the military man as he turned on his heels to leave her alone once again in the corridor.

She stared after him, secretly wondering what John Sheppard had done that warranted that kind of interest from the military command.

Nadim jumped as a hand closed around her shoulder, giving it a comfortable squeeze. She turned to see a nurse with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you, Lani but I wanted you to see these lab results for yourself," she said handing over a folder.

The medical expert frowned as she opened the folder and then froze as she skimmed the results. Now she knew what had alerted the M.O - John Sheppard's vitals and antibodies didn't match any known set up in their entire population.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_

 _/Thank you for commenting ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_


	5. Soldier, Alien, Enigma, Spy

**Chapter Five – Soldier, Alien, Enigma, Spy**

Colonel Sheppard moaned slightly as he shifted in bed, every joint and muscle aching. The semi-consciousness quickly changed into full awareness as he jarred his arm on the railing that prevented him from falling out of his bed. Despite that it still took him a moment to orient himself, to comprehend and realize that it hadn't been a bad dream. He wasn't safely back in Atlantis; he resided in a large medical facility. The question was; where was he? It was clearly not an Ancient city or outpost.

His musings were interrupted by the woman who'd introduced herself as a doctor earlier.

"It seems you're a popular man, Sheppard," she said as she walked up to him. "As to answer your previous question; you don't leave my department until you're well enough to do so and right now that isn't the case."

"Tell me," he began sarcastically. "Where did you learn your bedside manners?"

"Patients do as the M.E says," she responded with a smirk. "Not many people are daft enough to question that judgement."

Casting a cautious glance at the closest guard the doctor suddenly leaned toward him, to whisper in his ear. "You're not from here," she stated, causing the hair at the back of his neck to rise.

"What makes you say that?" He asked, managing to deliver the question in a fairly neutral way.

"For starters, I've just got your test results back and secondly what were you doing up at the cliffs in the middle of the night?" She questioned.

He shrugged. "I was just admiring the view."

"What are you?" She whispered. "Are you part of the secret operative force that M.O Katan strategically mix with the rest of the force or are you part of his scout groups?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sheppard returned, not liking where the conversation was going.

"That's the only reason that would explain why Katan wants to get his hands on you – he thinks you've defected and are ready to spill. I know classified experiments with soldiers are taking place at the experimental bunker, and that would at least partly explain why you're not like the rest of us. It's either that or you're a part of the underground resistance group," she finished.

"Why?" He asked, carefully suspicious, not really liking anything in her statement.

"Your name, your vitals, everything around you…," she said before switching subject, straightening as one of the guards turned in their direction. "You're lucky those savages didn't cause more harm."

John contemplated on how he was to reply without giving too much away. He assumed the savages was a reference to the tribe in the village that he, Rodney, Teyla and Ronon had visited the day before. He knew nothing more. He didn't know the relationship between the city people and the tribe or savages or whatever their names were. He didn't know about any resistance group or military secret operatives.

"Yesterday the Inner Circle, scientific congregate," she reminded him. "Reported about a flying vessel of unknown type and origin entering our atmosphere," she said, looking at him, searching his face for some sort of reaction.

John remained neutral, his professional mask slipping in place.

"For centuries, the savages have claimed that the lands of our forefathers have been besieged by an alien race that wiped out almost every soul on this planet, and that they will once return," Nadim told him.

He guessed immediately what they'd meant but he still didn't give any outward signs to it.

"However, this ship, although unfamiliar to us, might not have been unfamiliar to our ancestors. In fact it bear a striking resemblance to some of the design in this city and the items at the museum," the cunning doctor filled in.

John fought not to give anything away, although it was not visible to the naked eye.

"Then there's the fact that you don't exist in our records," she said. "You've never been born – at least not here."

"Busted," he surmised with a cocky undertone. "Yes, you're right. There's no point in denying is there? I came from space. In one of those little pods that you're so called savages liked to paint in their sacred caves."

The M.E rolled her eyes.

He shrugged. "I'm peace loving and beneath this pinkish color I hide my green skin," he returned, slightly mocking her cooked up conclusion.

She raised her hands in surrender, having the grace to look sheepish, at her wild speculations thrown back at her. "Okay, when you put it like that it does sound a little far-fetched," she admitted.

"Anyway, your vitals are slowly returning to normal. If this progress continues you'll be out of here in a couple of days," the M.E added.

OOOOOO

The next time John Sheppard woke up the activity was almost zero. The lights had been dimmed and through the window he saw nothing but an impenetrable darkness, telling him it was the middle of the night.

Then as he'd scanned his immediate surroundings and began to relax, letting his head sink down in the pillow, he caught the shadow of a well-hidden person. Tensing, careful not to give away that he'd noticed, he narrowed his eyes to slits. Before even knowing what he did his hand had unconsciously strayed to where his thigh holster would have been.

The shadow started to move ever so slightly and John pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure at being so helpless and left out. He had nothing to defend himself with, had no way of knowing what the man wanted. Judging by the shadow it was a rather large man that moved stealthily and swift, advancing on his position. John couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the lack of attention from the guards – now that he actually wanted them to be alert to his predicament.

Figuring that pushing the call button would scare the man away he slowly, so as not to attract attention from the unknown party, reached out with his arm, then grimaced, stopping mid-way in the action as he felt a sharp needle prick just above his left collarbone. Dumbfounded he turned his head to stare at a tranquilizing dark, feeling a strange sensation spreading through his body and within a second he knew no more as he slumped back in the bed.

OOOOOO

M.E Nadim froze just inside the door to the guarded department where the person of interest were being kept. It was still early in the morning and she'd arrived prematurely to her shift, wanting to have a private chat with the mysterious man. However, the bed holding the military prisoner to be was empty.

The place was swarming with military officers the minute the alarm was raised. To say the M.O was not amused was a slight misconception.

"You don't leave here until he has been located, apprehended and transferred to the military hospital, where he should have been taken from the beginning, by seasoned officers," the military organizer ordered sharply, his words clipped as he talked to the poor young men who had happened to have guard duty when the incident occurred.

Though standing with her back at him she could hear him walking over to her. His clear and commanding voice causing her to jump as he came to stand right behind her.

"The military hospital," he said icily. "Where he was supposed to have been taken in the first place had you not insisted he should be brought here, examined and treated by you."

There was spark in her golden eyes as she turned around to face him. "Forgive me, sir, but he was in a bad way and I didn't feel comfortable with your facilities. I suspect you wanted him alive for questioning?"

A faint malicious smile played on his lips at her accusation. "Keep that up, M.E Nadim and you might end up there yourself," Katan advised. "We both know that you stand with one foot on this side and the other among the resistance."

"I assure you, sir…" she began, emphasizing the word sir. "…that I have not. If I had I'm sure the investigation you called up on me would have revealed any secret whereabouts."

He set his jaw in frustration but remained silent.

"That is not what this is all about," Nadim continued. "You can expose a resistance member, although it might take a little longer should he or she be smart enough to cover their tracks meticulously. This man, however, is another matter. He has no record so unless he's one of your alpha team members, involved in who knows what, he's not of this world," she finished.

"Sometimes I believe you're a bit too bright for your own good, Nadim," he countered.

"You ordered that all the results were to be sent directly to the medical military attendant under your command, sir," she returned, ignoring the threatening undertone in his voice.

"A mere precaution," he explained casually.

She smiled cunningly at him. "No, something's going on here, she pushed.

"Not as far as I'm concerned," he denied.

"You're reading too much into it, M.E Nadim. You're letting your imagination get the better of you," he reasoned, dismissing her, turning on his heels to leave the room.

Lani Nadim stared after him as he disappeared out of sight, leaving her even more confused and curious about John Sheppard than ever before.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you for your reviews ;) I love to read your thoughts about everything that is happening. I can guarantee there is a lot of trouble coming Sheppard's way. As for the difference between the city people and the savages – it will be explained later._


	6. All is not what it Seems

**Chapter Six – All is not what it Seems**

John Sheppard, the man in question, awoke slowly from his drug-induced sleep, groaning at the pounding headache caused by the tranquilizer roaming his system.

"Easy there," a male voice cautioned.

John blinked his tired eyes open, trying to get his surroundings into focus.

"It's all right. You're among friends," the man reassured him.

Sheppard let out a muffled groan as he shifted in bed to get a better look at the white clad man sitting next to him. He quickly judged the doctor to be around his own age, lean and tall with unruly blonde hair.

"You know, I really hate tranquilising darts," the colonel whined grumpily as he shifted into a sitting position.

"Would you have come voluntarily?" the doctor countered curiously.

Sheppard tilted his head, making a face. "I might if you'd bothered talking to me," he returned in annoyance. "I'm curious though, you aren't the guy who sneaked around the hospital. In fact you owe me an explanation."

"My apologies. My name is Teldan Tori, Medical Examiner," he said by way of introduction. "You have been taken to sub-zero."

"Come again?" Sheppard asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow. However, from what he could see of the dimly lit, large room, his hope was suddenly raised – the room had the same architectural lines that were so characteristic for the Lantean building techniques.

"We are the resistance," the doctor told him succinctly. "And you are one of M.O Katan's Alpha Team members."

"Really?" He drawled sarcastically, trying hard to refrain from rolling his eyes at the statement.

Another man chose that moment to detangle himself from the shadows of the large room. "You are John Sheppard, you were found by Katan's men up at the rift point. The cliffs that borders to the savages' land," the unfamiliar man spoke up.

John eyed the man carefully, trying to deduce his character, as he walked closer to him, confidence radiating from his body.

"Your military cut uniform and the unfamiliar weapon that you carried tells me you belong to the Alpha team," he added.

"It seems to me you have me at a disadvantage," Sheppard returned, careful not to give away his amusement of how wrong the cocky man was. However, it would be to his advantage to play along as much as he could. However, inwardly he groaned; wondering how many different names they had for special troops.

"Sheppard, meet Amni Lak, leader of the resistance," the M.E said, finally introducing the man standing mere inches from where Sheppard was coped up, on a medical bed.

"Well, I suppose I should be grateful to finally meet you," Sheppard drawled nonchalantly, taking a gamble, hoping that he was in character with the though Alpha team members.

"We are growing in numbers, Sheppard," Lak warned with a proud undertone in his voice. "Our forces are gathering around the planet – even as far out as the opposite continent. The word is spreading around the globe and our network is strong."

Sheppard shrugged casually, it was not out of cockiness but out of curiosity and a bit of alarm as he realized not for the first time that he was a complete stranger to everything on the planet and therefore had no way of knowing who were the good guys.

A smile crept up on Amni Lak's lips as he studied the man in the bed. "John Sheppard. That's a nice code name even though I can't seem to recall anyone with that name from our history. The M.O likes to name people after old warriors even though he claims those warriors only exist in the savage's minds," he said. "I had the pleasure of meeting another Alpha team member several months ago – his codename was Janus."

Sheppard froze at the name mentioned but gave no outward sign that he recognized it. Instead he met Lak's eyes squarely, almost defiantly, and when he spoke his voice was low.

"I don't know of any man called Janus," he said.

Lak laughed suddenly but it was no joy in it only sarcasm. "You're good, Sheppard," he admitted. "For all I know he could have been your best buddy. Now, let's cut the crap and get to the chase. What is it Katan is after in the savages land?"

Refusing to reply to a question he had no answer to, he countered with a question of his own. "You said you're growing in numbers; enlighten me about it?"

"Katan has spies all over the place and I know he likes to keep his Alpha members close, so don't pretend you don't know about us and what we stand for," Lak returned.

"What are the savages' part in all this?" Sheppard tried carefully as he spotted another man coming up to stand next to the leader, whispering something in his ear.

"Sheppard, "Lak said and nodded curtly toward his companion. "This is Meren Kal, my second in command. I'm pleased to let you know that Katan is furious over your abrupt departure from Hospital Section One. I doubt, however, that he will find you."

"I'm a popular guy," John quipped.

"Obviously," Lak said with a smug look. "Maybe we've hit the jackpot? What is your rank? Major?"

' _Colonel, actually,'_ Sheppard corrected in his mind.

"The savages," John tried again, ignoring the Resistance leader's musings.

"In a way they are the origin of our conflict. But I need not to tell you what you already know," Lak said, eyeing the man opposite him curiously.

Sheppard, aware of his scrutiny, folded his arms across his chest and casually glanced down at the medical outfit he was wearing.

"Forgive my manners," Lak said suddenly with an amused gleam in his eye. "I take it your clothes makes you feel vulnerable. M.E Tori give Sheppard his clothes – maybe he'll get into a higher spirit and answer some of my questions and not demand answers of me."

The medical examiner pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he walked over to a locker nearby and retrieved a dusty black shirt and a couple of ruined BDU's complete with dried blood. "I fail to see why anyone would chose this over anything else," Tori muttered as he threw the clothes at Sheppard.

Atlantis military commander grimaced wryly as he shrugged out of the white medical top and got into his black shirt. He felt lethargic as he lifted his arms over his head and he certainly didn't like the slight shake of his hands as he started to button his uniform shirt.

"The poison in your system is still affecting you," the doctor explained as if reading his mind. "It will be some time before you're feeling better. Your leg will cause you to limp for a while and the wound must be seen to regularly. Frankly you're in no condition to be anywhere else than in a hospital bed."

"I have an aversion to medical facilities," Sheppard muttered as he slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed, his feet dangling with his wound exposed to the chilly air in the room, got into his filthy pants.

"This is not the experimental bunker, Sheppard," Meren spoke to him directly for the first time. "I don't know what they put you through but your physique is excellent, enhanced in some ways to ours."

"Nothing but training," John assured him. _'And too much fighting with the bad guys,'_ he thought, gloomily. "Anyway, why would you consider the savages to be the origin of our conflict? Let's face it, they're just a bunch of crazy old people."

This elicited a chuckle from the leader of the resistance group. "They are tribe people, Sheppard. They want nothing to do with the city people or us – to them we are city people too. They despise our way of living and up until recently they wanted no contact with us. Then suddenly they came in numbers, ventured into the city by means that we didn't even think they had. They warned us about a prophecy, about events to come. They knew about this place," Lak gestured around him. "Said it was a sacred place that should be left alone."

Sheppard nodded absentmindedly as he remembered the ZPM they'd found connected in the cave when they'd visited the savages.

Lak continued. "The Council hit the roof as the savages tried to implement their beliefs upon us. The savages were chased away, back to their village among a large cave system not many people dare to enter. They are a mysterious bunch; they can even be frightening at times. They told of people not of this world, of a threat that far exceeded any feuds among us. The government or council got adamant to tell the people that there were no such threats – as you might recall? Yet the military rose to more power in our society, the Inner Circle began to conduct research unknown to the general population. It created a chain of events that created paranoia in our society."

Sheppard briefly found himself wondering should something similar have happened on earth should the SGC reveal itself to everyone on the planet.

Many people objected to the changes implemented, to a more restricted society. Some even claimed they'd seen aliens on the street. Some of us where determined to find out if the threat was real. That was our main purpose," Lak admitted. "M.O Katan was given the task of sweeping us under the carpet."

"I still don't understand what the savages has to do with it," Sheppard persisted. "They are a factor in this yes but they don't fight you."

"For centuries they have just existed, we've accepted them, accepted how they wanted to live. But they have showed us a different side recently. They claim they despise technological advancement yet they seem to be even more advanced than we are in some aspects. They have an understanding of all this," Lak said and gestured around him.

"What have you heard?" Meren suddenly said, addressing him. "Katan imprisoned several of the savages a couple of months ago to interrogate them. Surely you must know what was revealed."

"That is classified information," Sheppard returned carefully. Although he appeared calm his mind was whirling with all the information.

"This has got to stop before it's too late," Meren returned. "There has been mistrust amongst people for a long time but there will come a time when a civil war cannot be avoided and I fear that will be soon."

"Mistrust doesn't come from one side," Sheppard heard himself saying.

"Perhaps not but tell me do you agree with our Military Organizer's way of handling the situation?" Amni Lak asked curiously.

Sheppard shrugged casually but he couldn't agree with them, he was supposed to be on the other side. "What's there not to like?" he returned taking a chance.

The man chuckled sardonically. "It's a closed society now whirled in a world of hurt and uncertainty. Katan is acting like it's all a big war game. The rift in the society so big nowadays that it seem irreparable."

"You paint a pretty picture casting yourselves as the good guys," Sheppard returned darkly. "You fight for a good cause perhaps but of what little Nadim told me back at the hospital you plant bombs, you kidnap people, you-"

"People need to wake up," Meren returned sharply. "Some of our people have disappeared, courtesy of Katan. Recently we managed to get into a large facility, after months of infiltrating the ranks of workers. They do not believe the savages prophecy yet we found out they were studying blueprints of a spaceship suspiciously alike the one that roamed over our heads a couple of days ago. It was supposed to be a power plant that saw to our needs but instead the industrial robots where working on a large construction."

"Maybe he thought it was the perfect decoy? You don't need another power plant," Sheppard reasoned and by the look on the faces of the three people next to him, Amni, Meren and the doctor he'd just made a mistake.

"This is the largest city on the planet. It is powered, has always been powered by a force deep within the city core or to be more precise from under it – from this place. For generations scientists have tried to replicate the energy in order to keep the city's main functions in working order but everything is running out of power, returning us to a darker age. It's common knowledge, Sheppard."

"All this is culminating now and I fear for what is to come. A few days ago a space ship appeared in orbit. There has been no signs of intelligent life forms before so I'm wondering where they came from and judging by the amount of damage they caused out in the savage land I fear they know a thing or two about firearms," Meren said darkly.

"You were out there when it happened so tell me; I'm curious. What did you see?" Lak asked almost manically.

"Probably nothing more than you already know," John let on casually with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Please go on and enlighten me anyway," the leader of the resistance returned.

"I dodged some fire. They managed to scorch the forest pretty good back there. The savages disappeared out of sight. I don't know, they got into their huts or something," he offered by way of explanation, hoping to give a typical I don't care attitude.

"Was it big?" Another voice spoke up from a distance, barely able to contain the awe."

John nodded. "I would say so, yes," he let on. Wondering why such an advanced society as this seemed to be couldn't nail such a ship on some kind of sensors.

"And so it all began," the doctor, who'd been quiet for most part of the conversation mused gloomily. "The prophecy –"

"Do you really believe in pretty pictures carved into stones all those years ago made by some drugged up lost soul –" Another voice chimed in sarcastically but John couldn't see the man as he was hidden in the shadows in the poorly lit room. "There are no aliens."

John was silent not wanting to interfere or meddling in a discussion that he didn't know anything about. If it could even be called a discussion in the first place. It sounded more to him as if everything was speculations based on lose rumours.

"They are pictograms, you inferior, narrow-minded, idiot," Meren said, butting into the discussion and John found himself drawing parallels with Rodney McKay and a faint upward curl became visible on his lips.

"They show large ships, soldiers coming in numbers," the doctor said.

"Yeah, yeah, they show the soldiers laying hands on the inhabitants of the planet and then what?" The unknown man returned in disbelief. "The next pictogram as you call it shows the natives lying in a heap on the ground."

"The prophecy says doom will follow the creatures coming from the sky," the doctor finished.

"Fools, both of you" the unknown man admonished. "Our society has evolved since those pictograms where drawn. That is considering they were even drawn that long ago. Who's to say you didn't paint them in the first place and then claimed to find them?"

Sheppard found he'd had enough. "As much as I love a good conspiracy – what do you want from me?" He asked.

The resistance leader walked up to him, invading his private space, locking eyes with him before speaking up in a cold steely voice, clearly in an effort to intimidate him.

"The truth," he said.

OOOOOO

To be continued


	7. Appearances

**Chapter Seven – Appearances**

"And what is the truth to you?" John countered, unfazed by the look he was receiving. "All I've heard so far are rumors and… who's this man?"

Amni Lak broke into a wan smile. "You tell me," he suggested. "He should be very familiar to you; he's Ro Chuk. I've finally found out why the military was always one step ahead of me. Courtesy of this double agent."

"So you kidnapped him just like you kidnapped me?" Sheppard returned darkly.

"It's not relevant," Amni Lak shrugged. "Now, how about the truth?"

A quirk pulled on John's lips as he realized he was walking on thin ice. Deciding to ignore Lak's suggestion he focused on the first statement. "What do you want to hear? That there are little green men out there just waiting to take over your planet? That the large ship was just the beginning – a scout ship? That an invasion is imminent?"

"Maybe we should start at the beginning?" The doctor butted in, his voice soft as silk, yet cold and surprisingly uncaring as he turned his focus solely on John. "I have another theory about you. You may _look_ like the rest of us but you're not like the rest of us. There are variances in our bloodwork compared to yours, your DNA…" he trailed off, looking at Sheppard for any kind of reaction. He was rewarded by a slightly raised eyebrow.

"I'm partly brought up to speed about the research in the experimental bunker, but judging from our little conversation here, I doubt you're an Alpha team member at all," the doctor finished.

The man before him seemed calm and not the least intimidated by the rest of the men in the room so the doctor decided to put all the cards on the table.

"You've been quite convincing in your appearance as a native to this world, I've got to hand it to you, but it's clear you don't know much of this planet. I dare to say you're in fact coming from the ship," he said smugly.

Sheppard frowned and carefully began to work out the kinks in his sore shoulders before cockily placing his hands across his chest, looking straight at the doctor. "You know, you're wrong in so many ways," he let on.

There was a tension in the room that didn't sit well with Sheppard's analytical mind and something told him it was time to get out. He carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed and, a little unsteadily, took a step forward.

"Where do you think you're going?" The doctor cautioned, some of the compassion having come back into his voice.

"There's an expression; anywhere but here," Sheppard quipped sarcastically, and if he was surprised that they didn't stop him from taking another few steps away from the bed he didn't let it on.

"Look," John said, trying to be patient. "First I was a member of M.O Katan's secret ops – Alpha team, then I was an alien. Are there anymore theories you'd like to share?" He questioned.

The leader nodded casually at the doctor. "Give it to him," he said.

The medically trained man walked over to a locker and retrieved John's TAC vest. He'd previously gotten back everything he'd carried except for the knife, his extra gun strapped to his ankle and the P90.

However, before the M.E handed John the TAC vest he reached into one of its pockets and retrieved the life signs detector. He held it up in front of John so that he could see. The display showed several life signs like small white dots.

"Now, this thing shows a dot for every person present in this room," the doctor began.

John said nothing.

"It is of old design, like the gadgets presently stored deep down in the museum," Amni Lak explained as he gazed around the room. "It originates from here."

' _Not quite',_ John had the words on the tip of his tongue but wisely kept that information to himself at the moment.

"Katan has obviously found a way to make it operable," Lak filled in.

"So, are we're back to me being a spy, or a member of the military special forces?" John wondered aloud as he decided to play along.

"You tell me how he did that," Lak demanded. "And tell me why since the government has always claimed that aliens do not exist and that there is no need to poke in the past."

"You expect me to know that?" Sheppard replied in disbelief. "It was just handed to me."

The leader cracked a ferocious grin. "You've been playing us all along – haven't you?" He asked coldly as he retrieved another life signs detector, just like the one John had brought with him from Atlantis, and held it up for John to take. "Something makes you special – so special in fact that Katan is searching for you. Reliable sources said to me he's just redoubled his efforts."

Sheppard hesitated, knowing that if he took the offered Ancient equipment in his hands, provided it wasn't faulty, it would respond to his ATA gene.

However, the leader insisted that he'd take it, trusting the gadget into the colonel's hands.

As John feared, the moment it came into contact with him, it responded to the gene and lit up. Despite that he was fairly good at controlling his gene he couldn't prevent the life sign detector from being activated.

There was an audible gasp from the people standing in the shadows of the large underground room.

A cunning smile crept over Amni Lak's lips. "You know how to turn it on and how to operate this type of equipment," he said and it wasn't as much a question as it was a statement. "It was you who activated the other one and not Katan."

Sheppard swallowed as he saw the looks shared among the resistance members in the room.

"It's interesting because the Intendent at the Museum of the Highest Order doesn't know what it is. Only that it originates from a society that lay in ruins on this planet over ten thousand years ago," Amni Lak finished.

"Well, since you know as much, you've probably figured out that it shows every life sign in the vicinity," Sheppard returned.

"Actually, that's irrelevant at the moment," Lak countered. "What I want to know is why we could use yours but not this one?" He glanced at the life signs detector now in Sheppard's hands. "Yet you could?"

Sheppard shrugged. "What can I say? Pure luck?" He tried.

"Not good enough," Lak let on with a faint smile. "Why don't you try again?"

John was about to deliver a smart ass remark but held his tongue as a small green dot began to dance across his chest. Without wasting any time he gracefully jumped away, putting distance to the tracer of the weapon, and before he could even begin to comprehend what was about to happen he was standing in the middle of a battlefield.

Men in dark green uniforms practically littered the room, shots were fired from both sides and a strange mix of gunpowder filled the air around him. Then the beam of a stun gun sizzled by, only inches from his neck, leaving him staggering for a moment. For a split second he expected Ronon to come forward with a grin on his face, demanding to know why he'd decided to stay on the planet without company. However, his hopes where crushed as one of the guards he'd seen at the hospital suddenly emerged from the shadows behind him.

"Typical," he muttered. "Caught in the middle. I really could've use for my P90 now."

The M.E was suddenly at his side, beckoning him to follow. "Come this way," he urged.

"I do apologise for Lak, he tend to get a little carried away at times. However, this is not his doing."

John ducked as a bullet smashed into the wall an inch from his shoulder, not paying much attention to the doctor's attempt of small talk. "I need my gun," he said through gritted teeth.

"A prototype?" The doctor wondered aloud curiously, obviously he hadn't seen anything like it before. "It's been taken apart."

Cursing under his breath Sheppard sidestepped an attacker and then with a well-practiced move that Teyla had taught him shifted his attacker's momentum, causing him to fly over him. In a timed swift movement he easily snatched the blaster from its holster just above the man's hip. Wasting no time he then knelt by a fallen officer and retrieved a small hand gun. He then turned around just in time to see the doctor take a direct hit in his shoulder.

It was a surreal event, like watching an exaggerated theatre play. The contrast of the dark red blood spilling over the starch white medical uniform, staining it with crimson.

John quickly grabbed his arm to haul him up as his knees buckled. The doctor tried to push Sheppard off him as he wheezed between clenched teeth. "Leave me."

John shook his head stubbornly, his features grim. "Not going to happen, doc," he replied. The soldier having taken over from his usually laid back persona intent on getting away from the chaos surrounding him.

The doctor seemed to understand Sheppard wasn't one to argue with and instead reluctantly let him help. "Where are we going?" He whispered. "To the transportation device?"

John hesitated, clearly weighing options against one another in his head as he watched the doctor, trying to decide how much to trust the man.

"A small space which you enter, push the button and exit elsewhere in the facility?" He asked cryptically.

The doctor glanced at him in surprise. "Yes, we discovered it only last year by accident," Tori explained. "Katan's special forces knows about them too? How much –"

John held up a hand to silence him as they were about to round a corner. As the coast was clear he tightened his grip around the injured medical examiner and pushed him forward. "I don't know," John said grimly and that was the truth.

The doctor fought to stay alert, not an easy task considering the blood loss. "You are not from this world," he stated drowsily.

"Hospital," John asked succinctly as they made their way into the transporter.

The doctor blinked heavy eyelids open trying to deduce what button to push. He reached out, not without effort, to the familiar board, a display of the Ancient City, and pushed on a location that would have taken them straight to a parallel corridor to Atlantis' infirmary.

The doctor's condition was deteriorating for every minute, but Sheppard didn't know how much they knew about the underground city as they called it, and if he was about to guess he'd say they didn't know about the ancient infirmary. The doctor might have chosen that exit point out if the blue. However, he had no other alternatives but to try and reach it.

With a strained grimace he hauled the doctor out of the internal citywide transporter and pushed on. The eerie glow cast by the light sources, complete with cobwebs and dust, told him that this part of the city hadn't been used for several thousand years. It had been visited, yes, considering all the footprints made before him but not used the way it was supposed to be.

The doctor peered at him through glazed eyes, obviously confused by his actions.

Just as John was about to head back and tell the doctor a white little lie about being lost he could see the doors to the transporter close at distance and then hear the familiar whining of the transporter.

Cursing under his breath he readjusted his grip around the medical examiner and hastily half-dragged the man across the corridor to where Atlantis infirmary would have been and swiped his hand over the console. The beautifully arched double door opened immediately at his command and the inside of the room lit up, machines came to life and a screen switched on at his mere presence.

Teldan Tori, the medical examiner, stared at him and then around the room in wonder, having had no knowledge about the sealed medical department. "You – " he began, his voice no more than a whisper.

"Save your strength," John commanded as he helped him over to a bed.

Tori didn't understand. "You know of this place, yet you've never been here?" He questioned in amazement. "We have tried to get this part of the underground city accessible for so long now."

"It's not an underground city, at least it's not supposed to be. Besides, it's complicated," Sheppard let on cryptically as he studied the Lantean medical equipment. "Now, I'm educated in basic field medicine only and nowhere near qualified to deal with your kind of injury; so please tell me where to find someone who is, or at least give me the location of the hospital you whisked me away from."

"Why?" the M.E asked, having a hard time trying to catch up with Sheppard's train of thought, his condition not helping the cause.

However, John understood what he was trying to voice. "Why I'm helping you?" He asked. "I needed an ally and I needed help to get away from that place."

"You came with that ship," the doctor insisted.

John sighed in frustration. The man was stubborn. "No, I didn't come by the ship. I came through the stargate," he admitted seriously. "Now, medic or hospital?"

Deciding he needed help and deciding he could actually trust this man hovering over him he spoke up. "M.E Nadim," he managed to croak out. "Find her and she'll help out."

"I hate to break it to you but you've got to tell me how," John returned.

"In my pocket…lies a communicator…page her. Code the word E.M Evac," he said.

Since the trust had to go both ways John followed through the instructions and hoped that Nadim wouldn't get him into more trouble than he already was in. He figured it would take her some time to find her colleague and he decided to use that to his advantage.

"Hey," John said as he nudged the semiconscious man. "Stay awake now. I never got a chance to ask before – who's Meren really?"

"He's a science officer in the Inner Circle," Teldan Tori explained through gritted teeth.

John mimicked the action of gritting his teeth but for an entirely different reason. Medical Examiner, Military Organizer, Hospital Section One, the Inner Circle; everything just sounded wrong to him. He glanced down at the man on the dusty bed, which hadn't been used for thousands of years, his expression both regretful and grim.

"They'll come for you. I need to go now," he said.

"No," Tori whispered faintly. "There are so many questions I need to ask."

"Another time perhaps," John said. "I don't appreciate your hospitality and I certainly don't like being stuck in the middle while you and those other guys swap pleasantries."

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you so much for taking time to review and share your thoughts – it's so valuable to me ;)_


	8. Dead Ends

**Chapter Eight – Dead Ends**

Rodney ducked instinctively as Ronon loomed over him, playing with his blaster, spinning it around. "Would you stop doing that?!" The scientist practically shouted in annoyance.

The Satedan merely sent him a glare.

However, Rodney returned it with full intensity and finally caused Ronon to straighten so that he wasn't leaning in between the two forward seats but rather stood behind.

"Remind me to thank Sheppard for dragging me on this journey. Coped up with you two in a jumper for several days," Rodney muttered.

Teyla raised an eyebrow and gave him an indignant look. "Someone's cranky," she said neutrally.

"Bet he's worse than Torren at his worst," Ronon returned.

"Hey, I heard that," Rodney snapped. He was about to deliver a snarky remark as an alarm suddenly blared. He turned around in the pilot's seat, his fingers flying over the console. "Oh," he said. "This is so not good."

"What?" Ronon demanded impatiently as he upholstered his weapon.

"Wraith," Rodney returned distraught. "A hive ship is coming our way and it's closing in fast."

"The cloak," Teyla suggested calmly from the copilot's seat.

"Already on it," Rodney said.

"You think they detected us?" Ronon asked gruffly as he leaned in between Teyla and Rodney's seats.

"No, I see no indication of that," the scientist returned as the Hive went past them. "But they'll probably discover the planet where Sheppard is."

Ronon scratched the back of his neck. "About that. How can they not know about it?" He asked.

"The Ancient's called it a beta site," Rodney explained but he didn't take his eyes off the instruments of the jumper. "A beta site is a codename the Lanteans' used for reconnaissance and information gathering. It was locked away under several layers of red tape in Janus' lab."

"Skip the riddles, McKay," Ronon returned in annoyance.

"Why am I even bothering?" the Canadian muttered.

"You think it's one of those places where several cities where tied up together?" Teyla asked curiously. "Like we saw on the Asuran home world?"

"Something like that," Rodney admitted. "I don't know why Janus hid the address or why it doesn't appear in the ancient database."

"There was no advanced culture," Ronon said with a shrug. "Only simple villagers that seemed offended by our presence."

"Simple villagers?" Rodney echoed. "Like the Genii, having a secret underground facility? Looks can be deceiving. Don't tell me you didn't notice the ZPM glowing faintly in the large cave."

"Janus died a long time ago, Rodney," Teyla reasoned softly. "I'm sure something was going on back then, but now – I'm not so sure. For all we know all the cities could have pulled away, if they were even here in the first place, and the traces of any Lantean civilization here would be gone."

"Look, I don't have all the answers," Rodney bristled in frustration.

Ronon turned to Teyla. "Definitely cranky," he deduced causing the Athosian's lips to curl upward.

OOOOOO

Sheppard came to an abrupt halt as he saw several dots appear on the life signs detector. Guessing this ancient city was constructed like Atlantis, he took a detour down the deserted corridors. To his dismay, the lights flickered and then brightened as they sensed his presence. The city had obviously been left for so long that commands didn't respond unless an ancient, or direct descendant, reactivated it again.

It was a feeling of déjà vu of a sort, wandering the corridors like this, it took him back in time to when he'd first set foot on Atlantis five years ago. He snorted, remembering his thoughts before travelling through the stargate for the first time. Then, as if struck by lightning, he came to a halt in the middle of the hallway.

"The stargate," he said.

Since the stargate next to the savages' village had been blown to pieces the proximity problem shouldn't arise. However, he didn't know the power levels in the remaining ZPMs. Sheppard suddenly hurried down the corridors, using Atlantis layout as a blueprint in his mind. Also, since having the life signs detector he could allow himself the luxury of not having to look over his shoulder and stop at every junction to make sure he was still alone. The only things that hindered him were the slight limp and the fever lingering in his body due to the slowly fading poison.

Working his way toward the nearest internal citywide transporter, he cursed as a blip turned up on the life signs detector. He was no longer alone, someone was coming toward him, and judging by the speed he'd say that someone was jogging. _'The resistance no doubt',_ he thought.

Since he'd involuntarily activated the other life signs detector they now had the means to use it to their advantage. Because if they followed closely enough he wouldn't be able to shake them off. Picking up his own pace to a jog, he soon reached the transporter. Sheppard breathed a sigh of relief as the board flickered to life before him. Stabbing a finger at an exit point he knew would take him almost on top of the gate room he waited for the familiar hum; it never came.

He tried again to punch in the same command but the system refused to comply. Either the exit point had suffered structural collapse or the system was faulty. Confused he tried another location, a bit further away from his goal, and smiled to himself as he felt the familiar sensation of being shifted within the city. He'd been whisked away to temporary safety from the resistance, the detector showed no other life round him. However, his high hopes of escaping the underground city grumbled as the door refused to open.

He reached out mentally but the door wouldn't budge. He tried to pry it open to no avail. After several unsuccessful tries he sighed in frustration and leaned back against the wall, running a hand through his hair.

"Okay," he mumbled, trying to think of another approach. "Where is McKay when you actually need him?"

To fire a volley of shots at the doors wouldn't help. He glanced up to scrutinize the ceiling, looking for any kind of weakness in the construction that he could use. The lights suddenly flickered, came on again for a little while, before they finally died and left in him in the dark.

"Crap," he mumbled indignantly, dismayed at his bad luck. He reached out with his hands before him and finally found the now dark screen in front of him. Not having much hope of getting it back up and running he was actually surprised as it came to life under his fingertips.

Sheppard decided to give it another go and pushed his current location. There was a rush of murky air coming through the doors as they parted slightly, not enough to let him through but enough to let him see what was on the other side. The cold air tussled his hair and pulled at his clothes as he stuck his head through the opening and stared in amazement at the destruction before him. He was actually looking down in a dark abyss; nothing seemed to remain of the city on the other side of the transporter door.

Out of curiosity he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small light rod, one usually used for measuring depths. He threw it down the gaping hole and stared after it as it vanished into the pit.

"Okay, pretty deep," he admitted sarcastically. "Definitely a no go."

Sheppard made a face as he turned to study the screen again, trying to decide where to go next. "Third time's the charm," he quipped and placed his index finger on a point further away from his original goal.

The door creaked forebodingly but closed behind him. In a flash he was taken across the city again. This time the door opened obediently but as he was to walk out he halted mid-step. He closed his eyes and reached up to massage his forehead in pure frustration trying to gather his wits. Hoping it was all a bad dream that would come to an end. However, when he opened his eyes again nothing had changed.

A chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head. "I don't believe it," he said ironically, staring out in the dark corridor.

It was a free passageway two or three meters ahead, then the structure had collapsed, caved in on itself. He had reached another dead end.

OOOOOO

Katan's eyes darkened as he heard the reports from deep underground. Several casualties had been reported. Things had escalated beyond his control. He'd always known the moment was to come, still he'd dreaded it. Dreaded the moment when a gunfight between the two fractions couldn't be avoided any longer. The distrust in the system was so high that the city state would plunge into civil war. The escalating factor to it all, no doubt, the man calling himself John Sheppard.

Katan shook his head in frustration. Perhaps the fault wasn't entirely Sheppard's, but he'd acted as a catalyst. For a while the Military Organiser had thought Sheppard belonged to the resistance, but then he'd come to realise there were too many inconsistencies. For example, the resistance seemed to believe that Sheppard was one of his spies. When the medical reports came back from the hospital and he'd had several offices run a background check on the man, he understood he was neither. That scared Katan more than anything. Sheppard was not from Katan's world; he might look like them but he was an alien. That finding alone set the government on high alert.

The alien was deemed a threat to international security given the unknown weapon he'd been carrying and his obvious military training. There was also the fact that one of his officers had come back from the battlefield and claimed that Sheppard had the gift which was often spoken of by the savages.

' _Who was he really?'_ Katan found himself musing. _'And how had he arrived at the planet if not by the ship?'_

There had been other worrying things that demanded his attention of late. One of them was that the large monument, at the border of the savage land, had crashed to the ground and that the savages had disappeared into their caves for a tribe meeting.

The elders had appeared scared. That was the report one of his lieutenants had given him after returning to base. Furthermore his report mentioned that before the monument fell to the ground, the ring had suddenly sprung to life. He had dismissed that last part as a fantasy too farfetched to be reality, but now he wasn't so sure.

The ring had been a sacred thing to the savages. They claimed the Old Ones once walked the ground of the planet through it. But then again, the savages had many tales that seemed too farfetched for his liking. Even though he no longer considered the savages to be simple in the way they claimed – they'd shown him another side while coming into the city to tell the story of the prophecy – he had a hard time believing the story about an enlightened race that came in numbers to the planet many thousand years ago in flying cities.

Nevertheless, some of the city people had wanted it to be true and an expedition had been launched to go down to the old structure beneath the city. However, the place was unsteady, too damaged and left unattended for so long that the expedition got cancelled after the mysterious death of a member of the Inner Circle who came along. The resistance blamed the military for infecting the dead man with the virus he supposedly died of and it was decided between the government and the military that Katan would claim that to be the case. However, the experimental bunker and the military scientists there had nothing to do with it. It came from the old site itself and with that knowledge the government prohibited people to enter the place.

It then became a perfect hiding place for the resistance – a place Katan could not clear out without risking the city built above it.

The Military Organiser sighed, a million questions competed for his attention. _'Was it possible that the mysterious ship's presence had coincided with John Sheppard and his sudden appearance and that they knew not of each other?'_

Some of the younger savages had chatted among them as one of his scout team drew near, obviously upset about a team of four people entering their caves. One of the members of the team fitted the description of Sheppard perfectly and that was before the ship had appeared in orbit.

Katan shook his head nearly giving up on trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, he was at loss. He needed to find John Sheppard.

OOOOOO

Having no choice but to turn back, the Military Commander of Atlantis stepped back into the internal citywide transporter. He readied the blaster and brought up the life signs detector from his pocket as he chose an exit point on the city map. Adrenaline rushed through his body but he still wasn't feeling all that good. His body was still recuperating from the injury he'd sustained as well as the poison that had ravaged his body, wreaking havoc with his bloodstream before he'd received the antidote.

With a shaky finger he tightened the trigger of the weapon and shifted weight off his injured leg feeling he'd used it too excessively running around the hallways.

OOOOOO

"I really don't like the proximity of that," McKay whined as he stared at the Hive, entering orbit at the planet before them.

"I agree, it's inconvenient," Teyla spoke up.

McKay snorted. "Now, that's an understatement-" he began.

"What are they doing?" Ronon growled.

The three team members gazed out the main window of the jumper as the Hive suddenly powered its weapons and started firing at the planet.

A bright shimmer surrounded the planet, countermanding the weapons fire, neutralizing it.

"It must have been following the Traveler's trail," Ronon said grimly. "However, the Ancient ship had no trouble getting through the obvious shield."

"Let's hope we don't have that either," Ronon mumbled sourly.

"I do not wish to be the bearer of bad news, but even the Wraith can come through the Ancient shield," Teyla said as she pointed at the view screen. "Do you see those rings displayed? They indicates holes."

"So, the Wraith have been following the Traveler's trail and accidentally found themselves a new feeding ground," Rodney deduced.

"They will begin culling," Teyla said in a low voice. "With the level of advancement we saw back there they'll have nothing to fight back with."

Rodney watched helplessly as darts started pouring out of the bays of the Hive. "With Sheppard in the middle," he said dejectedly.

"What is that?" Teyla asked curiously as the jumper began its decent.

Rodney followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he thought he saw a faint glow of light emanating from the planet's surface. He called for a magnification and brought it up before him on the screen.

"It's a city," Ronon stated, standing between Rodney and Teyla.

"I might have been right about the level of advancement," Rodney mumbled as he got the vast area of the large city down below. "I just hope it's not a repeat history of the Genii."

"It cannot be," Teyla said softly although with a hollowness that made her statement eerie. "The Genii hid their advancements from us, these people display it openly."

OOOOOO

To be continued


	9. And So They Come

**Chapter Nine – And So They Come**

"Sir, several small ships are approaching the surface!" A young communications officer reported, his voice a strange mix of fear and wonder.

Katan stared at several different view screens in front of him at the military headquarters. "So, the prophecy will be fulfilled," he muttered sullenly under his breath.

Almost a year ago, the savages had ventured into the city on the pretence of warning them about a danger that was to come. He remembered the day clearly; he'd almost laughed out loud at the ridiculous claim the elderly man, Dadan, had made.

For centuries, the savages had lived alongside them in peace. They considered themselves to be a tribe people and wanted not to be disturbed and Katan was happy with that. To him, the savages had nothing useful in terms of technology or training.

To honor the respect between them, there had been border patrols and restricted access for the areas up north, where the so called savages lived. Katan had also deliberately made the savages seem more ruthless and unenlightened to the city people, so as they would not venture out to them. Due to that, not many city people had seen a savage up close and upon closer inspection they seemed just like each other, except for the clothing.

When the savages came, they came in numbers and situated themselves at the large Square of Enlightenment, a central point in the city. They told about a prophecy, about an enemy so dark and powerful that no one would be safe. About an alien invasion that would leave no one standing and able to defend the city, or even the planet. In all the ridiculousness they also said the city's power would run out because the energy modulators would be drawn.

It was the last statement that really caught Katan's attention; because there was no way for them to know that the Inner Circle and the engineering section had been battling the power problem for generations already. However, it wasn't up until recently that it had become an immediate problem. No matter how hard they'd tried they hadn't come up with a solution that would make the strange power rods glow again, or energy modulators as Dadan called them. As it was they were down to one glowing rod which was rapidly failing in power distribution. Even the sky seemed to shimmer at times and that made some people superstitious.

The government, upon hearing this claim about an immediate threat from space, got divided, friction arose between politicians and between the military fraction and the Inner Circle. A turbulent time had followed with scientists starting to search the old archives for something close to the prophecy the savages spoke of. The government used a cover-up story, denying that they believed the savages even the slightest, but the real reason for the sudden political changes and founding of archaeology teams to search the underground city, the enhancement of the old construction, and restrictions to Hover craft travel across the continent, was leaked to the press.

The resistance formed after that. They claimed the government was ignorant to interplanetary threats. The government in turn claimed there was no one out there to pose a threat despite their recent precautions.

The resistance started to gather information on their own, wanting to make people aware of others. They spoke with the savages, about the prophecy written in Ancient times. They spoke of a dark shadow, of an enemy besieging what once was –

"M.O Katan!" An anxious voice shouted, bringing him back from his musings. "Sir, what are your recommendations?"

Angrily he slammed the com button to talk to his team leaders out on the field and those down below in the old city.

"Seize John Sheppard!" He commanded cryptically before killing the connection. He was suddenly fuming, his hands shaking with anger. He hated loose threads and he couldn't for the world work out where the alien fit into all this.

The M.O then nodded at his second in command. "Open defense sites, deploy armed forces," he ordered sternly.

"They are aliens, sir," the communications officer in the background cautioned.

Katan ignored the man and held his gaze on his SIC.

Military Defense Officer, aka his second in command, Sha Rodin nodded seriously before relaying the order through the military network, executing battle commands.

OOOOOO

M.E Lani Nadim hesitated as she followed the active tracker in order to find the location of her colleague M.E Teldan Tori. The device took her deeper and deeper into the old structure beneath the city and into corridors off limit to most. She wondered if she would finally encounter Amni Lak and his cohorts or Katan's Alpha Teams in the eerie place and felt a shiver down her spine.

She'd never met Amni Lak personally even though Katan had tried for months to prove her involvement with the resistance. Her presence at this place would no doubt get his suspicions raised to a whole new level. However, Lani Nadim was in fact a Triple. It was the name of those who worked in secret groups to prevent a civil war from all sides. She worked for the government, but she also handed important information through secure and reliable channels to make sure the resistance was up to speed and in turn prevented any assault on them. She also had a close and tight relation to the savages, as the city people called them, those who lived simple lives with old traditions outside the city border. She suddenly caught herself smiling as she thought about Dadan and his people.

Teldan Tori on the other hand, was a member of the resistance group even though he worked at the government sanctioned Hospital Section One. Section One was the state of art branch at the large medical facility situated in the prime tower in the middle of the city. Tori was in the General Department, the place Sheppard had been brought to after Katan's men had found him. Lani had no doubt about who'd taken Sheppard when the emergency evac message came through. It had to have been her colleague but she was still amazed at how he'd managed it. For a moment she'd wondered if it was Sheppard who was the patient.

As Lani and her two trusted companions, a nurse and a junior doctor, neared the destination she couldn't contain her surprise any longer. The corridors of the old city were brightly lit in a warm glow and next to every door shone symbols on a small display in a foreign language. As the tracker brought her up to a large double door her mood sank for she had no means to get in.

"How-" the nurse she'd brought with her began as the doors slid open to reveal to her a brightly lit room.

Lani wasted no time as she spotted Teldan inside, lying on what appeared to be a medical support bed in the middle of the room. She closed the distance to him in two strides.

"Lani," he whispered.

"Save your strength," she said worriedly.

"This is a hospital section…" he whispered weakly. "Sheppard…he knows."

"I know," she said sadly as his head lolled to the side.

"Brought me…here," he whispered before oblivion took him.

"He's dying M.E Nadim," the junior doctor said grimly.

"I know," she echoed sadly. "He's lost a lot of blood and he's in a severe condition. I don't think he'll live through transport even under normal circumstances. We have no choice but to treat him here."

The nurse frowned, it was the same nurse that had taken care of Sheppard when he'd first been brought in. "Lani?" She said with uncertainty.

"Take a look around, this is an advanced hospital section. It might be old and not used in a very long time and we may not understand all the equipment there is here, or its language, but it gives Teldan the chance he needs to survive. The ground forces have been deployed – I heard it over the link and whatever they are, those in the strange ships, will make it impossible for us to reach the hospital."

The nurse and the junior doctor accepted her call and turned their attention to their wounded colleague.

Lani watched them work for a moment but found her mind drifting. Too many questions whirled around in her head. However, the main question, the one she couldn't understand was where John Sheppard fit in. He was a wildcard - where everything else seemed remotely connected he was a lose thread.

During her limited free time she had had time to make some enquiries of her own and she'd reached the conclusion that Sheppard was not of her world, nor was he connected to the aliens now roaming the city. She'd seen what they'd looked like, those horrible beings. Oddly enough she had faith in Sheppard, despite their brief encounter. Now she'd learned he'd brought Tori to this medical facility to help him and that he could operate certain equipment that remained a mystery to her own people. She needed answers – she needed to find Sheppard again.

OOOOOO

Colonel Sheppard let out a dry laugh as he stepped out of the internal citywide transporter. Finally freedom seemed to be within reach. A bit further down the hallway was a ladder of a sort, not of Lantean design though, but still. It led upwards through a thick slab of what seemed to be concrete. He set a brisk pace heading for the ladder and swung his gun over his shoulder so that it rested on the strap only while he checked the life signs detector.

He froze, hands on the ladder, as the ground shook beneath him. However, that wasn't what concerned him the most at the moment, the life signs above him were. Dots appeared and then disappeared before his eyes; from the look of things there seemed to be massive fighting going on above his head. Climbing a few steps upwards he was just about to stuff the life signs detector in his pocket when several dots turned red instead of white, the Lantean system instantly recognizing them as Wraith.

Contemplating on whether to back off and retreat, he cast a glance downward and decided to climb down again and have another go at the transporter. Unfortunately, as he was about to step off the ladder, he heard the familiar hum of the transporter. He wasted no more time. He practically bounced up the ladder and pried the hatch open and eased himself over the edge and onto the open street, throwing himself into utter chaos.

Troops had deployed on the market street, civilians screamed and tried to rush over one another in order to get away. John quickly jumped out of harm's way as a beam from the closest dart swept away several people in front of him. That's when he involuntarily got the soldier's attention.

The team leader for a rather large group of men was fast and perceptive as he aimed at the Military Commander of Atlantis. "Let go of the weapon!" He shouted.

John carefully took a step back, earning himself a warning shot that hit the ground only inches from his foot.

"I wouldn't do that," the team leader cautioned.

Calculating his next move Sheppard received unexpected help from the darts above his head as they drew near again and shifted some of the attention away from him. He took a deep breath and dared a glance at the sky, waiting for the right moment to act. Just when the beam was deployed he threw himself away from it and it gave him momentary protection from the troops. He just hoped they would go for the dart instead of him.

OOOOOO

The elders where deeply troubled by the events taking place in the city. They had recited the holy words several times and some of them had even walked over to the ruined Ring of the Old Ones in an attempt to try and decipher the symbols, but it was harder than to read pictograms and the old language had been long forgotten.

The only thing they could conclude was that the prophecy was being fulfilled in front of their eyes. Even though, a long time ago, their ancestors had chosen a simpler life instead of the now blooming city with all its advancements they were far from daft. They believed in traditions and held their heritage high and considered their family important. They needed no knowledge about advanced technology and/or science in any form because they tended to their own. It was said that their ancestors once walked among a people much more advanced than the city people. They came in flying cities and they'd simply been called sky people, or the 'Old Ones' by the younger generations.

The sky people had fought the dark enemy spoken of in the prophecy and lost. The ruins of a once brilliant city were all that remained. A few of the sky people remained a short amount of time to help defend the tribe people, the natives on the planet. They made the sky shimmer, creating a thin layer by pure magic that held away the darkness. However, the sky people warned that the protection wouldn't last forever and one day the dark enemy would once return. It was a story that had been told for every generation since the destruction of the city. When the sky began to shimmer the prophecy would be fulfilled.

The savages had always known there was other life among the stars. Therefore Dadan and the other elders hadn't been that surprised as the ship had appeared above their heads a few days ago. What had confused them however, was the four people that appeared out of nowhere and turned up at their doorstep just before. They had strange clothes and carried weapons Dadan and the rest of them had never seen before. First he took them for outsiders – people who travelled a vast distance around the world before getting back to the start, but then he slowly began to realize they were not.

They'd invited themselves into the caves and stumbled upon the bones of a planet-wide cat-like animal. One of the men had begun to chatter excitedly when he found the pictograms on the walls made by their forefathers. Dadan had sucked on a breath when the leader of the four had ventured into the burial ground of the sky people. Old things that he'd been told belonged to the mysterious sky people had begun to light up. Dadan had immediately assumed they warned him of danger. The savages assembled their weapons and began to hunt the four people. Then the ship came roaming over their heads and it made it impossible for them to capture the strangers and they never found them.

Old Master Dadan carefully stuck his head outside the cave entrance to glance in the direction of the city. His lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure as he saw the small ships circulating over the large rural area. Although it was some distance away he still felt worried about the proximity. He wished he'd seen as clearly as when he was just a young boy, but faith had dealt differently. Dadan could venture into the city and have an eye operation as the young and persistent medical examiner Nadim had suggested on her last visit but it didn't appeal to him. He'd chosen the simple life, his eighty year old body was tired and he didn't feel up to the trip. Dadan closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air as the howling wind almost whisked him outside.

The old man opened his eyes in confusion and set his forehead in a deep frown as he saw the two young villagers that came his way from the broken ring suddenly fall to the ground. Then he thought he saw the grass crumble from an unknown force a bit further away. Dadan then heard footsteps behind him as others came through to the cave entrance, obviously aware that something was going on outside.

Despite the fact that Dadan had seen many strange things over the years, courtesy of being neighbors to the large city, he'd never seen two men and a woman walk out of a cylinder shaped vehicle that had appeared out of nowhere only to become invisible again as the trio had set foot on the ground.

Dadan wasn't that superstitious but yet he fell down on his knees in awe. It was the same people that had visited several days earlier. Those who'd appeared just before the strange ship that scorched the ground and destroyed the Ring of the Old Ones.

It was clear to him now, he finally understood that the people he'd taken for outsiders, or even the dark and powerful enemy, were in fact neither.

The incident during their last visit had created a debate and an uncertainty among his people that hadn't been settled until recently. Some believed that by hunting the visitors they'd angered the mighty people on the ship and that that was the reason for the unprovoked attack. He had settled for that explanation since they hadn't seen the visitors again nor the ship but now he wondered if they had anything to do with the ship at all.

He was troubled, unable to come to terms with what was happening in front of his eyes, but as he reached out with his hand to stop several members of his people from walking out of the cave and prepare for battle once again, he came to the conclusion that those people before him where not the enemy. In some strange way they gave him hope – they reminded him of the tales of the sky people.

OOOOOO

To be continued


	10. A Fruitless Search

**Chapter Ten – A Fruitless Search**

Ronon tensed, his hand reaching for his blaster as he set eyes on the people awaiting them. He didn't like to admit it but the natives had been formidable enemies during their previous visit, even though their weapons consisted of spears and arrows.

Teyla walked right up to the man on his knees, who seemed to hold back the young soldiers with his hand only, and gently reached down with her arm to offer it to him. She aided him as he rose to stand opposite her and gave him a ghost of a smile.

"I'm sorry," the old man mumbled. "For I did not understand."

"Good, we're back on speaking terms," Rodney piped up sarcastically, his eyes never leaving the life signs detector in his hand as he came to Teyla's side.

Dadan stared at the snarky man in disbelief. "I do not know of your name but please understand that we thought you came here with an agenda, like many others from far away villages on this planet. However, when you started reading things into the old pictograms made by our long lost forefathers we got confused. Then, when you decided to venture further into the natural cave system behind our village…"

Rodney waved his hand lazily in front of him to stop the old man's tirade before looking up from the gadget in hand to face him, his blue eyes narrowing, his patience having run out a long time ago. "We found the address in an old database, the details won't interest you," he said. "As you say we found pictograms made by - your forefathers? We ventured into the chamber out of curiosity, not to steal, as you obviously believed. How were we to know about the equipment in there and the old grave markings?"

"The Room of Rest," Dadan said, unfazed by the stranger's outburst. "A battle took place here many thousand years ago. Disaster struck our planet. It is told from generation to generation about the great battle and how the sky people saved our forefathers. It is said that some of them escaped their faith and laid their loved ones to rest in that chamber. They then disappeared without a trace, never to come back again," Dadan explained.

Rodney folded his arms across his chest as he waited for the old man standing opposite him to come to the point.

"The chamber is protected by a field so thin, yet so powerful that no one can walk through it. Yet when you arrived the field dissolved to let you pass. Items that belonged to the great sky people, those they left behind, began to glow. It has never happened before. We thought it warned us of danger," Dadan explained.

Rodney huffed.

"They were Lanteans," Teyla said solemnly.

"Where are you holding Sheppard?" Ronon demanded impatiently, not particularly interested in a conversation about history.

"Please forgive our rudeness," Teyla said diplomatically. "My name is Teyla Emmagan, this is Doctor Rodney McKay, and Ronon Dex. Our leader was lost during our narrow escape. His name is John Sheppard. It is important that we find him and that he is returned to us."

"I'm sorry, Teyla, my name is Dadan. The others call me Old Master. I do wish I could tell you the location of your leader but I'm afraid he isn't with us."

Ronon snarled as he walked closer to Dadan, causing some of the young soldiers to take a step back.

"You've killed him?" Rodney asked in disbelief.

"No, no," Dadan assured him. "You misinterpret my statement. He has ventured into the city. Before our scouting party could reach him, he was picked up by black clad soldiers, guardians of the border."

Rodney's mood plummeted as he shared a look with Teyla.

"The city is not what it once was. It is no longer a place of peace and tranquility such as this. It is spoken of rivalry and resistance within the city core. It is a turbulent place, and now, since the dark enemy has cast a shadow over the planet, I fear what I would find, should I go there," Dadan finished.

"Well, I don't," Rodney returned and nodded at Teyla and Ronon. "Come on, let's get back to the jumper and see if we can find the colonel. Our time is clearly wasted spent here."

OOOOOO

Sheppard felt the close proximity of the bullets fired by the military team he'd encountered, one of them passing through his shirt, grazing the skin on his arm, as another one sizzled past his right ear with barely an inch to spare. He flipped around and landed hard on his side and grimaced but he didn't have time to dwell on what other possible injuries he'd added to those he already had.

Then he realized that the firing had stopped and, as he picked himself up, he saw that the military team leader and his cohorts had vanished, taken by the Wraith's culling beam. He retrieved the life signs detector from his pocket and pursed his lips in displeasure as he studied it. The Wraith ground forces were assembling, troops were being deployed. Grimly he began to make his way through the blocks of the city, hoping to find a way back to the savage land. It was the only place he could think of at the moment where he would be able to hide out. However, John Sheppard didn't get very far before one of Katan's Alpha team members that lay in wait for him took him out with a dart.

OOOOOO

"It is beautiful," Teyla said as she gazed down at the large city beneath the cloaked jumper.

The architecture was a strange mix of Ancient Lantean structuring and something much more modern in terms of the architecture she'd once seen back on Earth.

"And deadly," Ronon added grimly as the jumper adjusted its course to avoid slamming into the side of an approaching Dart.

Rodney called up the jumper's HUD and muttered something unintelligible under his breath. "I can only separate the Wraith from the citizens. I can't single out Sheppard," he said in dismay.

Teyla shuddered as she saw a beam from the closest dart sweep the ground clear of citizens below. "We must help them, Rodney," she said.

"We don't have time to explain our presence here and risk being shot at. Not if we want to try and save Sheppard," he said, his expression stern. "And we can't just land and get out down there. We need a guide."

OOOOOO

M.E Lani Nadim breathed a sigh of relief as she neared the edge of the steep cliff that marked the border to the city limit. She'd taken a chance, a chance that might very well have ended her life but she'd reasoned, and reasoned correctly, that the enemy ships in the air would be too focused on bringing as much of the population possible with them and therefore would not have any interest in a lonely Askulan in a hover machine.

Lani, who normally enjoyed rock climbing to go visit the elders in the savage land, had little time to do so now. Also, Katan would not have time to keep tabs on her today when so much else was in the making.

To save time, she'd called in some favors at the local airport and borrowed a hover machine. Lani's father, Merk Nadim had been a pilot and he'd loved flying his children everywhere they wanted and had gladly told them how everything operated and how to pilot a hover machine.

As she neared the small village next to the caves she just hoped that Dadan wouldn't be offended by her arrival in an advanced flying machine. Little did she know that something far more technologically advanced had just managed to avoid ramming into her.

OOOOOO

Rodney let out a string of impolite words as he adjusted his course to get well away from the lone hover machine's path.

"Is he crazy?" The scientist said in disbelief. "Why would someone fly alone in something like that with the sky full of darts?"

"Sheppard?" Ronon asked succinctly, his hopes rising.

"It's a she," Teyla said amused, as she made out the silhouette of a woman in the pilot's seat, and smiled at the look she was receiving from her two friends.

"What do we do know?" Ronon said. "What do we make of her?"

"We hope she's friendly," Teyla replied as she clipped the P90 to the front of her TAC vest.

OOOOOO

Unaware of the Atlantis team, the medical examiner landed next to the village and was quickly greeted by the Old Master.

"Lani, my dear. What are you doing here? The path you took is dangerous," Dadan complained lightly, his voice full of worry for the young doctor.

"Tell me about the prophecy, Dadan," she said with urgency.

"I have already my dear," he said confused.

"I know, Dadan, but please enlighten –" She trailed off abruptly as the ground next to her seemed to sink and a feisty side wind almost forced the air out of her lungs.

Lani stared mesmerized as a hatch materialized out of nowhere and opened to reveal three people looking very different from one another.

Dadan bowed slightly and tilted his head as the trio approached them. "You did not find him," he stated sadly.

"We ran into some difficulties," Teyla let on politely.

"We need a guide," Rodney added and did a double take at the woman who walked up to stand next to the old man.

Dadan smiled. "This is Lani Nadim. She visits us sometimes to help. Several generations ago her forefathers lived among us but then decided to abandon the tribe, or savages as the city people call us, for excitement and technological advancement in the soulless city."

"I am Teyla Emmagan," the Athosian said politely with a slight bow to the head and turned to each of her friend presenting their names to Lani. "This is Doctor Rodney McKay and Specialist Ronon Dex."

Lani's interest peaked at the mention of their titles. She knew Katan had made some progress on aircraft construction, but of the little glimpse she'd gotten into the mystery machine they'd arrived in, she deduced it to be of the same design as the old city that now posed as foundation for the newer one.

"You're– " she began and then suddenly turned back to face Dadan again. "Does the prophecy say anything about the return of the sky people?"

"They fled, Lani, they were defeated by an enemy so dark and so deadly that they couldn't stop the darkness from coming," Dadan replied gloomily, without hope.

"You don't understand, Dadan," Lani returned somewhat frustrated. "Technology so advanced that the Inner Circle can't understand its full potential and meaning, is being used by these people. Dadan, John Sheppard needed only to touch it for it to respond."

"Wow, slow down," Rodney said. "Sheppard? You know where he is?"

Lani turned to him. "I'm afraid not. The resistance have him, down under the city. He was brought to the hospital where I treated him for his injuries but was later taken from the facility."

"Captain Kirk," Rodney muttered.

"Who?" Lani asked in confusion.

Teyla shook her head gently, having heard the reference and also the explanation to the character called Captain Kirk. One of many characters in the fictional world John and Rodney often referred to. Although this one being discussed more than the others as Rodney claimed Sheppard and Kirk were alike. Good looking, accident prone, stubborn to a fault, got a lot of attention from women all over the galaxy and so on.

"Lani." Teyla said softly. "We are not of this world and as you may have guessed, John Sheppard is not either. We need to find him and contact the rest of our people."

"Why did you come here?" The M.E asked, suddenly angry. "Why did you disturb the peace?"

"Was it peace, Lani?" Dadan broke in softly in his old wisdom. "Perhaps this will finally unite the people here?"

"You may not choose to believe us, but we had nothing to do with the large ship that roamed the sky when we first arrived," Teyla explained.

"Travelers," Ronon said succinctly. "A space bound people that we know almost nothing about."

The young M.E hesitated, looking at the serious Satedan. "How else would you have reached this planet?"

"Dadan?" Teyla said. "You said that the sky people, after they buried the dead ones, disappeared off the face of this planet never to return again."

The old man nodded.

"They travelled through the ring. My people call it the Ring of the Ancestors or Stargate. That was how we first came to visit your planet," Teyla explained.

"The ring is made of stone," Dadan said thoughtfully. "It was only a monument. A telling of the battle that took place here."

"No," Rodney spoke up. "It is a portal to other worlds. A gateway through this galaxy."

Lani snorted. "I'm sorry, it's just that it sounds a bit too farfetched to be real."

"You can believe it all you want," Rodney returned testily. "If not, please explain where we came from and why our vessel appears to have the same design as some of the so called artefacts hidden in that chamber behind you and why Sheppard could operate the advanced equipment you essentially know nothing about?"

"Please, Lani," Dadan said seriously, his eyes pleading with her. "Take them through the city while there is still time. Help them find their friend and then maybe they can save us."

OOOOOO

To be continued


	11. History Will Not Repeat Itself

**Chapter Eleven – History Will Not Repeat Itself**

The Intendent had muttered something unintelligible under his breath as Lani ushered the stranger through the door and into one of the more secure areas in the basement where the ancient artefacts were stored.

Normally they would have needed clearance, but considering the day's events, anyone claiming to be able to fight the aliens was welcomed, although maybe not with open arms. It dismayed the doctor no end to hear the firefighting outside and the whine of the small ships picking up the citizens in groups never to be returned again. It was a waste of life and a horrible way to go beyond. As a friend to some of those who'd been taken she was grieving but as a doctor she was angered beyond reason.

Her anger wasn't necessarily directed at the Wraith but at her own people and their unsettled differences that made them fight against each other when they needed unity the most. More and more people on each side were coming to that conclusion but it took time, too much time, time that they didn't have.

Ironically the lives of those in the great city were dependent on another group of aliens, the descendants of those who'd fought and been defeated by the enemy that had now been brought upon them. One of them was walking ahead of her, a scientific man that the Inner Circle would be proud to have in their community.

Lani didn't know why, but she had absolute confidence in Rodney McKay and his two companions. Maybe it was because Dadan trusted them and he didn't trust easily, or maybe because she so desperately wanted someone to trust, someone she could turn to and not have to be afraid of being stabbed in the back and handed over to another fraction. Also, being a doctor, she was thrilled by what they had told her so far about their heritage and the ATA gene. It wasn't much and she sensed they really didn't hand over information or trust easily, but that something was enough to keep her marveling about medical improvements and such.

Since Teyla and Ronon didn't have the ATA gene there was no point in taking them to the museum and they'd jumped ship at the nearest access way to the old city in the hope of finding Sheppard down below. Rodney didn't like it but he had other concerns at the moment. He needed to call Atlantis for help and there was no way for him to do so under the circumstances. That was why he and Nadim had turned up at the museum in order to try and find something useful.

Since the museum wasn't of Lantean origin there was no terminal or access port to the Lantean database. In order to tap into that system he would have to go below and into the real Lantean city, or what was left of it. He would do just that later to join Teyla and Ronon.

He quickly rummaged through the old things and brightened when he found a crystal rod. It appeared undamaged so he pocketed it, intending to analyze the data on it later. He also found two more life signs detectors and a personal shielding device. Even though those were treasured findings, he craved for something to communicate with, something to fix the gate with. As for the latter, it had been a little farfetched to expect to find something at the museum but he had to try. Then again, Janus had been operating from the old city below and he usually had at least one ace up his sleeve.

Rodney suddenly stopped as his fingers brushed something that looked like a fat Frisbee at the bottom of a large box.

"What is it?" Lani asked curiously.

Rodney hesitated before reaching for it, remembering what had happened to Vala and Daniel when they'd shifted the stones on what they believed was a harmless ancient device. "I don't know," he said, his voice no more than a whisper.

He took a deep breath and retrieved the object from the box and set it down on the bench. It came to life, having registered his ATA gene.

Lani unconsciously took a step back as blue glinting symbols appeared on the dark surface. She then let out an audible gasp as a small version of a grown woman shimmered into existence.

The woman's features were slim, her skin tanned and her long hair jet black. She was dressed in a long white dress, but what attracted Lani's attention was the large glowing pendent around her neck. It was the same symbol that Dadan carried – his symbol of luck that had been passed on through generations.

"If you hear this message you are of our kind," the woman began in a low monotone voice, yet it was so filled with emotions that it made Lani shiver.

The M.E cast a glance at the scientist standing next to her and saw him swallowing.

"I'm broadcasting this on the beacon because Askula has been lost. We came here in peace. It was a most promising planet. There is life here that we do not wish to impose on. They are primitive but our hopes are that they will evolve with time. We established a beta site here to gather intelligence and to discuss how to overcome the imposing threat from the Wraith. We grew overconfident and did not realize the speed at which the Wraith evolved.

And now I deeply regret to voice that it is too late. They attacked us a few days ago. Luckily we managed to draw the attention of most of the Wraith to let the other cities present take off. Myself and a handful of others are all that remain of the inhabitants of Askula. We found a natural cave system not far from here where we brought our deceased, with the help of the tribe here, and we can only hope that the erected force fields will be enough to prevent the Wraith from ever coming here again.

Askula will never be able to fly again, she's too badly damaged, and we are too few to make repairs. She will be left here as a guardian of the people on this planet. Her shield has been modified and her power modules are almost full. She will disguise any life signs down here from space and she will not be visible to anyone entering orbit. Janus has developed a new shielding technology that will remain active and prevent the Wraith from breaking through the defense perimeter of Askula, but as of the rest of the planet, it will remain unprotected."

Rodney cursed under his breath as the holographic woman flickered out of existence, but then just as suddenly as she'd disappeared, she reappeared.

"I have lost contact with Atlantis, she is no longer within range, but I know she has set course toward another galaxy so far away that the Wraith will never know of it. I hope she will make it there and one day return. I have heard that Lantea has left the surface of our home planet to defend it. It is too dangerous for the remaining flying cities to go there in fear of attracting the attention of the Wraith. I can only hope that our civilization will survive. I will leave this planet through the Stargate and I will not return until it is safe to do so. We never wished harm upon the tribes of this planet, still I fear that's the only thing we've brought them."

Lani Nadim found herself shaking with the revelation in front of her and she let out a shallow breath. All the years they'd wondered about the strange city, all the tales told. This was the truth. Dadan loved to tell her old story's about the magic city that no one dared to enter for a very long time. How people had ventured into the old city never to return, of forces unknown, of powers that shouldn't exist. Then she'd read in school about the brilliant physicist who managed to tame the strange powers and tap into it. How the new city had been built above and used its power.

Rodney turned to look at the Medical Examiner, his features stiff and his expression grim. "Let's go and find Sheppard; we won't be able to find anything useful here," he said seriously.

"Why?" Lani said suddenly as she remembered the woman's last words. "Why didn't she return?"

"The Lantean civilization died out, Lani, or most of it did anyway. The planet Lantea was lost and so was the city named after it too, the other cities were never heard of again. Atlantis managed to get to Earth where a base was established and a Stargate built before she returned to the Pegasus Galaxy where she was hidden. The inhabitants then walked through the gate to my planet and lived out the rest of their lives there."

Rodney and Lani shared a solemn look before they headed out to join Teyla and Ronon in their search for John.

OOOOOO

Sheppard came to awareness slowly, his weakened body not really ready to give up sleep. However, the rough manhandling set frayed nerves on end and pain receptors on fire. He opened his eyes to slits, acutely aware that he was being dragged through a seemingly endless white corridor. It felt surreal, like he was walking a strange version of death row. Heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor, the insulation in the walls not enough to prevent it. He was once again underground but not in any part of the Lantean city.

The guards stopped in front of a steel door and waited for it to be opened from the inside. It didn't take long before he was roughly shoved inside and dumped on the floor.

Sheppard squinted at the brightness of the room, everything was white and in sharp contrast to himself.

A figure, a man who'd been facing the wall, suddenly turned around with a stern look on his face. He was impeccably clad in a dark green uniform with red and golden stripes on his arms and some kind of designation on the right side of his chest.

They scrutinized each other, stared each other down while strengths were measured. Sheppard recognized the presence of a high ranking military officer.

"John Sheppard," the officer began politely yet coldly. "Welcome to the experimental bunker."

A look of defiance crept over the now standing Military Commander of Atlantis but he remained quiet.

"In only a few days you've managed to escalate the conflict between the Supreme State and the resistance to the extent that a civil war is now unavoidable. I can only hope that the allies you've brought with you will unite my people," Katan said harshly.

Sheppard, undeterred by the little speech, stared back at the man, and when he finally spoke it was with equal contempt and coldness. "It seems you think you know a thing or two about me," the colonel began.

A faint smile appeared for the first time on the interrogator's lips. "A little intel has never hurt anyone," he said casually.

"Then let me correct a few things, M.O Katan," Sheppard returned coldly.

The man did a good job at masking his surprise that John knew of him but as a trained professional Sheppard quickly saw the subtle signs.

"The Wraith aren't my allies and they didn't come here for me," he replied.

"How did you get here, Sheppard?" Katan asked bluntly, tired of games. "Hitched a ride with the ship?"

Sheppard said nothing.

Katan nodded at the guards who took a step closer to their prisoner.

Sheppard was good, Katan had to hand it to him but the M.O didn't like to lose and he wasn't about to do so this time around either.

"You are a mercenary, a professional soldier," Katan deduced. "As such you didn't come here without a reason."

The colonel shrugged casually.

The guards grabbed him from behind and forced him down on his knees.

"You carried interesting equipment. Similar to what's on display at the lower levels of the museum," Katan said. "I imagine the resistance had you pegged as a member of my special operations teams."

John decided to continue listening only, not wanting to give the man satisfaction by saying anything.

"Aliens do not exist, John Sheppard, other than in the savages' minds. That is why we can't have you around to spread doubts about that," the military organizer finished.

"Explain me away, fine," Sheppard returned sarcastically. "But how do you sweep the Wraith under your carpet? Huh? You going to claim everything is just a big and happy costume party?"

"I'll ask you again," Katan returned, ignoring the remark. "What is your mission here?"

Sheppard, still on his knees, simply chose to ignore the question thrown at him.

Katan nodded at the guards and without a word they roughly brought Sheppard to his feet.

Katan stole a mischievous glance at Sheppard and looked very pleased with himself. "I know you came with the ship so there is no point in denying it. The Inner Circle has spoken of unusual activity a few months back. The thought of life on a distant planet has been met by heavy sceptics and the report has been tucked away in a confidential archive."

Sheppard swallowed, realizing he would have a harder time breaking out of containment than he first thought. It was hard for him not to draw parallels to Kolya and the Genii, but then again Katan was even more formidable as an enemy. He reminded him of a narrow-minded general from earth's twentieth century.

"The thought of another species, looking like us, having the firepower like you have simply horrifies us. You have the power to make threats to our entire civilization, carry them out and imprison us. It doesn't sit well with me or the rest of the military.

"The Inner Circle and the government might be persuaded to believe in the prophecy but I don't. I can't deny that evil green beings are…beaming away parts of our population, but I will not stand by and let them get away with it."

"You don't stand a chance," John said darkly. "In a funny way I guess you're lucky that you haven't encountered them before like the rest of the galaxy."

Katan's eyes narrowed. "You brought them here," he seethed, seemingly misreading what Sheppard actually meant.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a vivid imagination?" Sheppard quipped.

Katan eyed him suspiciously. "Maybe after a little while in the underground bunker you would be more talkative and reveal your true motive for being here?" He suggested with a glint in his eye as he turned his focus solely on the guards. "Take him away."

Sheppard swallowed, his mouth dry after all the previous running. To be taken deeper into the underground complex wasn't what he'd wanted to hear. He tried to come up with a solution for his predicament. When it came to rescue his hopes diminished a little for every day. There was a possibility that Atlantis had mistaken him for dead. That he'd died in the wormhole as the Stargate crashed to the ground, there was no way for him to tell and no way for him to contact them. His only ally on the planet, if you could call him that – the ME Teldan Tori - might even be dead by now. The Stargate belonging to the Lantean City buried underground seemed inaccessible. There simply seemed to be no way off this planet for him. However, he'd be damned if he was to be placed in detention, so it was now or never; John Sheppard had to run.

The guards, not knowing of their prisoner's plans eyed him carefully as they walked down the corridor but they didn't bother to secure him properly, judging that he wouldn't try anything since in their opinion there was nowhere to go. Besides, they were three and Sheppard was only one, plus the fact that he was injured and seemingly exhausted. Two of them walked alongside Sheppard while one trailed behind, all of them confident they could carry out their duty.

John Sheppard's mind was reeling. Where would he go? He didn't even know how to escape. This underground complex wasn't Lantean, most doors was locked and could only be opened with a keycard of a sort. He wondered briefly if that went for all the doors or just some of them. Then again, the alternative of staying behind wasn't an option to him. If he was blunt, it really sucked.

In a swift movement the Military Commander of Atlantis turned silently and took out the guards one by one before they could even blink. It was a well-practiced move performed at a precise moment that turned into a well-coordinated attack leaving little room for counterstrike. With a labored breath, he bent down and hauled up a keycard from the main guard's pocket and carefully glanced around the immediate surroundings before taking off at a run.

OOOOOO

To be continued

/Thank you for reading ;)


	12. For Every Action

**Chapter Twelve – For Every Action …**

OOOOOO

Military Organizer Katan actually found himself smiling as he watched on the view screen, in the control room, how his army trained, black ops, was easily overpowered and outsmarted by this soldier called Sheppard. The black ops weren't ordinarily used for guard duty but they were, alongside the Alpha teams, some of his best men on the field, members of his elite force.

Katan was therefore impressed yet furious at the same time, and the smile was as much in surprise and uncertainty as it was of rage and desperation.

When Katan finally spoke to his SIC it was in a low, cold and calculating voice that seemed devoid of any emotion. "It is a shame he can't be made an asset, he would make such a contribution. Now, John Sheppard must die here – for planet security."

Sha discreetly shook his head in disagreement. This wasn't the way to handle things, certainly not his way. He secretly wished to seek out Lani Nadim and discuss the situation like they'd done so many times before. For Sha Rodin was a Triple; determined to stop his world from falling apart, lost between narrow-minded people and vast disagreements. He'd heard reports from the underground battle too and he'd recently just avoided reporting the knowledge about Lani having taken a small team to rescue her medical colleague, Teldan Tori. Katan was already trying to frame her, he didn't need to know about that particular event.

Sha regretted he couldn't contact Rackie, who'd infiltrated the resistance group, and hear the latest at his end, and he desperately needed to hear the wisdom of Dadan. Because Sha knew that John Sheppard was the key to all this; he just didn't know what door he would open and what it would mean. The only thing he was certain of was that he must prevent Katan from killing John Sheppard because he was a link, oddly connected to the history of this world and Sha believed in the prophecy.

OOOOOO

Teyla felt uneasy as she walked the old corridors below the ground level. It didn't help that she had a life sign detector in a tight grip. The old city was worn and in some sections highly unstable. The floor creaked forebodingly as she made her way in a dimly lit hallway near what would have been the botany labs back on Atlantis. Cobwebs draped the old lamps on the walls, and dust caked the floor and ornaments wherever she looked. She let out a shallow breath and cautiously peered around the corner of a junction as if expecting to find someone despite the fact that she was alone. Teyla decided to keep going in the direction of the small gym where she and John usually met to practice on Atlantis, but her hopes of finding him there were small. Then, as she drew near she saw footprints and a glimmer of hope flickered through her mind. She carefully knelt to study the print and was forced to hold back her disappointment as it didn't belong to John.

There was a sudden spark behind her that made her jump, her hands unconsciously reaching for the P90 clipped on her TAC vest, the life signs detector forgotten on the floor where she'd knelt.

An eerie glow lit up the small space behind two large double doors to the lab section next to her, and with a cautious glance thrown at the life signs detector, she saw two dots appearing. In the semi darkness she hadn't spotted it, but now the glow and the familiar hum gave away the internal citywide transporter.

Equally surprised as his team mate, Rodney McKay threw his hands in the air as the doors swooshed open to reveal the hallway of section three, level four. "Whoa, don't shoot," he piped up worriedly staring down the barrel of Teyla's P90. The young doctor in his company said nothing but was obviously frightened as she shrank back in the corner of the ICWT.

Teyla couldn't help but grin as she lowered her weapon. "Rodney, I did not expect to find you here," she said, then turned to look over his shoulder. "M.E Nadim."

"No, well I preferred taking the easiest way," he returned. "Lani told me of an access point from the market street but –" the scientist made a face. "Considering all the hungry Wraith running around up there, I thought it safer to take the back door."

Teyla raised an impeccable eyebrow; she and Ronon had had to go through the market street.

"I found a map of the city and then correlated it with a map of the one above, then I just had to make sure how Askula was situated and calculate where the nearest internal citywide transporter was – it turned out to be no less than five meters from the museum," he said with a smug look on his face.

"Askula?" Ronon questioned as he walked out of the shadows behind McKay, causing the scientist to jump.

"Do you have to scare the crap out of me!" he retorted angrily as the big Satedan walked up to stand opposite him with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You could have just said something like a normal person."

"I just did," Ronon returned.

"The map wasn't the only thing we found," Nadim said in a hollow voice. "A woman appeared before us."

"A hologram," Rodney clarified. "Similar to the one that greeted us when we first found Atlantis. Apparently this is Askula and this was a beta site but it wasn't hidden from us for the reasons I thought."

"Explain, McKay," Ronon said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"They gathered here, some of the cities, lined up like the cities back on the Asuran homeworld, to discuss how to deal with the threat the Wraith had turned into. There were disagreements among the Council members about the way to neutralize the Wraith and defeat their enemy. Ever the diplomats trying for a peaceful solution, the Lanteans weren't quick enough. The Wraith cornered them and they scattered," Rodney said.

Teyla and Ronon shared a solemn look as their team mate continued to fill them in.

"Askula remained, having been too damaged as she defended many of the others. Janus developed some kind of shielding; I only know half of it. Also, there's no mention of the Wraith detecting system we have, maybe that was invented after this? Anyway, the reason why the Wraith have never returned to this planet is because they thought nothing of it. As far as they are, or were, concerned they won the battle, nothing remained. Askula's shields have masked the life signs of the city people and the tribes in this region of the planet where it is most populated, until now."

"The power is failing, the shield is going down, cracking in various places," Lani filled in sadly. "When the sky begins to shimmer the enemy will come," she recited.

"That is only partly true," Rodney said. "If it hadn't been for the activity taken by the Travelers, the Wraith wouldn't have discovered your planet just yet. They followed their trail here."

"But the prophecy," she protested. "The sky-"

"It's an unlucky coincidence," Rodney said dismissively before he refocused his attention on Teyla and Ronon. "No trace of Sheppard?"

"No," Teyla said sadly.

"No, I didn't think so, that would have been too easy," Rodney mumbled.

OOOOOO

M.O Katan stormed out of the control room down in the military base and cursed under his breath as the ground shook beneath his feet. His hand wandered to the tightly strapped gun on his hip. Things were not going his way. Their most impressive guns were pointed towards the sky, aimed to blast the enemy out of the sky; yet too many of them remained, all while more and more citizens disappeared.

The government officials had just vacated the Council chamber and were safe, the appointed leader had been downright rude when he'd called on the link earlier to demand that Katan do something about the situation. The politician wasn't normally that harsh, but in the heat of the moment he'd lashed out and had come close to calling the military a complete disaster. Katan knew that when all this was over his head would be on a plate unless, there was a small chance, that he could prove he couldn't have handled things differently. That he could somehow get a confession out of Sheppard of bringing them to the planet, or if that didn't work, he could blame Dadan for not telling them the severity of the situation in the first place. Or he could lay guilt on Amni Lak and his frigid resistance group for interfering with military business and causing division among the people.

Katan smiled suddenly as he crossed several junctions to get out in the main hallway in his hunt for Sheppard. Things looked much brighter now than they had ten minutes before.

OOOOOO

Rackie crouched low as he heard footsteps drawing near his position. He had little time left to act and sighed in desperation as the ground shook beneath his feet. The already weakened section of the city where he was currently residing creaked ominously, protesting the strain added from the bombardment above. He could only hope it wasn't one of Katan's teams at the other end of the hallway, if it was he would have nowhere to go. Several sections behind him had collapsed; some of the resistance members were trapped, some were dead. Despite the contingency plans drawn up, nothing seemed to work in a real crisis. The persons Amni Lak had chosen to abduct had been executed, caught in the crossfire between the Alpha teams and the resistance fighters. Both sides had disliked each other for so long now that there was nothing holding them back – nothing to keep them from engaging each other in battle. It was a private war going on underground just as ugly and deadly as the one above on the streets. It was insane to fight each other when they most needed to stay united.

What complicated things was that Amni Lak was dead, shot to death while attempting to become a martyr. It fuelled the resistance members with a fighting spirit, and even though Meren Kal was a member of the Inner Circle and should see how wrong their actions were, he was afraid to do anything else than to follow the stream.

A handful of people that Rackie trusted were secretly spreading out in the underground city at this moment to try and stop the fighting. He just hoped they would get the rest to listen and see the bigger picture before it was too late. As for his own mission, he was on his way toward the experimental bunker that was dug out deep underground on the outskirts of the underground city. While the underground city was a great hiding spot, it left a lot to be desired in terms of communication with the rest of the world and he needed to contact the rest of his people badly – for Rackie was Triple and the time had come to reveal themselves.

OOOOOO

John Sheppard gritted his teeth as he slid the keycard in yet another holder, opening yet another door. Perspiration was slowly starting to cover his face as his hair grew damp and flat against his head. His shirt laid slick against his body and the fever was intensifying. Pain shot through his leg from where the arrow had been embedded with every step he took. The row of lights flickered above his head as yet another Wraith beam cut through the layers of rock covering the bunker. For all he knew he could be running in the wrong direction, but at the moment he didn't care just as long as he did something. Katan would stop at nothing; he was a dangerous, deranged man.

John slipped through the door and breathed a sigh of relief as he allowed himself a few minutes to gather his wits and slow his breathing. He wished he had his life signs detector as he half jogged, half walked through the seemingly endless hallways of the experimental bunker complex. Then, to his surprise when he slipped through the next door, he emerged in a rough handmade tunnel - yet it was still as bright as the smooth surfaced walls of the bunker. His breath caught in his throat as he saw a Lantean door panel light up at the end of the tunnel – the Ancient City.

A shadow detached itself from the rest of the darkness and John froze as he saw Katan before him, a weapon pointed at his chest.

In slow motion he saw his opponent pull the trigger, saw the flame at the end of the barrel.

He felt the bullets rip through his chest; every impact pushed him further to the ground. He felt a burning sensation and watched with fascination how the blood trickled down on the floor. John glanced up at his nemesis and suddenly laughed at the irony of it all; he had run out of options. John Sheppard could not cheat death anymore.

Katan walked up to him, to stand next to him and watch him die.

"So...go ahead...why don't you finish what you've started?" Sheppard rasped.

"I am finished, when tomorrow comes you will be no more," Katan returned menacingly and holstered his weapon. "There's no way out of here and no one is out there to save you. This is for the best, Sheppard –for my word. I will deny you've ever existed, deny that you ever came here."

Sheppard laid his head down, unable to even make the slightest move, yet his mind felt crystal clear. He could feel his life slipping away and he was helpless. John felt a tear sting in his eye; something he hadn't felt since the day his mother died. He would die on a foreign planet in a distant galaxy where no one had ever heard of earth. Slowly he closed his eyes, letting himself succumb to the darkness.

He had one word at the tip of his tongue; why?

 _"You cannot give up,"_ a faint voice whispered.

Sheppard opened his eyes in confusion but the only figure there with him was the military organizer and Katan was silently watching his life slip away. The only sound that could be heard was the sickening sound of his blood dripping down on the floor.

 _"Colonel Sheppard, please..."_

He tried to swallow, but only managed to cough slightly as blood slowly seeped out of his mouth. He let his eyes flicker over the surroundings but again, there was nothing.

 _"You cannot give up,"_ the voice repeated and, each time he heard it, the more familiar it seemed to him.

With a last effort he managed to turn his head slightly and smiled as he saw Carson Beckett kneeling next to him. "Now I know I'm dying," John whispered but it wasn't audible at all to anyone else. "I didn't expect it to be you who came to greet me."

Carson smiled sadly at him. _"John, please fight this,"_ he said solemnly yet in a supportive way.

However, John Sheppard was slow to catch up, his body refusing any kind of cooperation and his mind screamed in pain. The person before him was dead, having been obliterated by a bomb in Atlantis.

"You're dead..." he said, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.

 _"We are worried about you, and while we would treasure your arrival, your place is not with us yet,"_ Carson said softly. _"Hedda regrets she can't heal you this time."_

Then he understood and suddenly all his remorse for not being able to save his friend lessened. For Carson wasn't gone; he was just as secure as he'd been before, but on another plane of existence.

"You Ascended," he said, it was more of a statement than a question. "I don't understand, you died so suddenly, Ascension takes time…"

 _"Time is not important where I am, John, nor was it important the moment Hedda reached out her hand to me."_

"We mourned you, carried your casket through the gate back to earth..." John said, each word harder to formulate.

A smile appeared on the Scot's face. _"And I saw you, I was proud of you all, but now is not the time or the place to discuss what has already been. John, listen to me, you have to fight this."_

John attempted to giggle but the only sound was a guttural one before he found his voice again. "Carson...I can't, I've cheated death so many times."

 _"Don't I know it, lad,"_ the Scottish doctor let on sadly yet a tiny quirk played on his lip. _"They need you; you have things to accomplish that no one else can."_

"We needed you too, Carson," John whimpered, not even his high threshold of pain was enough to withstand the agony cursing through his body.

The former CMO shook his head, his deep blue eyes settling on John's hazel ones. _"I died instantly, there was nothing that you could have done to save me – nothing, John,"_ he returned solemnly. _"I made a choice that day and it was to try and save lives. However, for you there is still time."_

"You don't understand, no one knows where I am..." John countered, his words no more than a garbled string of letters should anyone else had heard.

 _"You have to have faith in your team, Colonel,"_ Carson said in an effort to snap his friend out of it by using his rank.

Tired, glazed hazel eyes glanced up at him. "We missed you," he said, struggling with the words.

 _"I've been with you ever since, but in a different way than you're used to. Now, you must keep it together for a little while longer."_

"Why?" John questioned, suddenly angry at the man before him for asking him something he wouldn't be able to manage.

 _"Because they are coming,"_ Carson said as he flickered out of existence.

OOOOOO

To be continued


	13. A Team United

**Chapter Thirteen – A Team United**

Then, just as suddenly as Carson had appeared by his side, Teyla was there next to him.

"John," she whispered, and he saw a faint tear gleaming in her eye.

He didn't want her sad and he realized, with a pang of regret, that he would never be able to talk to her again, to comfort her, to laugh with her, to watch her spar.

"I don't want to say…goodbye…Teyla," he whispered.

"Then don't," Rodney said sharply, as he too knelt beside him.

Too far gone, John smiled faintly; glad to have his friends near him one last time, even though they were just illusions caused by his oxygen deprived brain.

Rodney watched in horror as the glazed and pain clouded hazel eyes lost their focus. "No, no, no," he said, more calmly than he felt. All the color had long drained from his face, the sight of Sheppard's blood having terrified him when he'd first laid eyes on him.

Teyla steadily and methodically applied pressure on John's chest, praying she was actually managing to prevent some of the remaining blood to seep out.

"No!" Rodney shouted in shock as the bandages applied was instantly soaked with bright red blood.

However, John Sheppard wasn't really aware of his surroundings anymore, he didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

"Will I see you again?" He rasped hopefully, looking directly at the spot beside him that Carson had just reclaimed.

"John?" Teyla asked carefully, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as Rodney hesitantly reached out to help applying pressure.

Carson smiled at John ruefully and nodded slowly. "Aye lad, you'll see me again, probably sooner than you think, although it might not turn out the way you expected it," he said enigmatically before the faint image he'd projected of himself disappeared.

"John, are you awake?" Teyla said softly, her voice betraying the inner turmoil she felt.

"You came," Sheppard rasped fondly. "It's really you."

"Of course we came," Rodney admonished, sounding offended that he would even ask. "And of course it's really us."

"Thought perhaps you..." John managed weakly.

"Perhaps we thought you were caught in the buffer?" Rodney filled in for him. "Yes, that occurred to me but after all we've been through I dared to hope it wasn't so."

"Gate," John whispered, his eyes closing as small hands started to prod his wounds. Renewed pain vibrated through his entire body and he managed a glare, surprised to see the golden eyes of Lani Nadim glaring back at him.

"It's not operational," Teyla said softly. "We came through the space gate by jumper."

Rodney gingerly rose from his position next to John, giving space to the M.E and glanced sadly over at the Athosian on Sheppard's other side.

Seeing the serious look on Rodney's face Teyla rose too. The scientist leaned forward to her and whispered in her ear. "He'll never make it back."

"Gate," John said again stubbornly.

Rodney knelt by his side again. "It's broken," he said.

"Shut up and listen," John wheezed, his voice surprisingly strong. "Another city, beneath this, Lantean, all ways to operations severed."

"I know about Askula but like you said she's pretty damaged, the Wraith did a good job on her," Rodney returned.

"Who are you people?" Katan demanded as he took a step forward only to be brought back in place by Ronon.

"Military Organizer Katan, head of military matters," Medical Examiner Nadim began the introduction with a smug look. "Meet Colonel John Sheppard, Military Commander of the Atlantis Expedition."

Katan stared at the fallen man before him as Nadim continued. "This is Teyla Emmagan, Specialist Ronon Dex and Doctor Rodney McKay their Head of Science."

For a moment the silence was deafening, you could easily have heard a pin falling before the chaos erupted. Katan stared at his counterpart in surprise. After all, he had taken Sheppard for a soldier, although his defiance and fighting style told of something else.

Klaxons blared above their heads, the ground shook beneath their feet and a small crack formed in the ceiling. The Wrath had penetrated the defense grid and the perimeter set up by the planets defenses. The door to the midway hallway between the Lantean city and the Experimental bunker was thrown open and several Alpha team members filled the long but small passageway, with weapons drawn.

"Release M.O Katan immediately," the man in charge of the group demanded sternly.

Ronon sneered angrily, not intimidated by the newcomers, instead of letting go of the military leader he pulled him closer, his blaster connecting to the skull of his prisoner.

"You must listen to us, all of you," Teyla begged softly yet in a steady voice. "We can help you end this. To get rid of the Wraith, but only if you let us, and every second count."

Katan lifted his eyes and levelled them with Teyla's, ignoring the Satedan. The woman looked determined, her features grim and her brown eyes darkening, all of it highlighted by the flashing red lights.

The military organizer nodded to his men who sceptically pointed their weapons downward and took a reluctant step back. "Trust doesn't go one way," he said coldly as he still felt Ronon's blaster against the back of his skull.

The Satedan shrugged. "I dunno, you don't appear so trustworthy," he said casually.

Ignoring the rest of them Rodney tried to rouse Sheppard who'd slipped into some sort of catatonic state. "Where, Sheppard?" he asked nudging the colonel's shoulder. "Where's the gate, have you found it?" he urged as he shook his friend by the shoulders earning a glare from Nadim and Teyla.

Judging by the state Sheppard was in he doubted the man would say anything more at all. Just thinking about it made the hairs at the back of Rodney's head rise. He refused to believe this was goodbye.

"The internal citywide transporter only works as close as midway-"Sheppard managed weakly.

"I don't understand," Rodney said in frustration and the fear of losing his friend made him snap. "Now is not the time to be talking in riddles."

ME Nadim looked at him with a sad expression on her face – one without hope. "I'm sorry Doctor McKay, he's-"

Rodney swallowed, "No," he whispered.

"-dying," Nadim finished.

"No, no, no he's not!" McKay returned fiercely and then began to snap his fingers. "Maps, charts. I need a city map. Why didn't I download it back at the museum," he questioned himself, cursing his own stupidity.

"She must be built exactly like Atlantis," Teyla deduced.

"No, there were variances, not many but enough to grow concerned," Rodney let on.

"I fail to see the relevance in this," Katan spoke up impatiently. "The city has been decaying for centuries, it is unstable. It's all that remain of a damaged civilization – some of the savages even claim it's haunted."

"It's not haunted," Rodney disagreed. "That's ridiculous superstition."

"Of that I have no doubt," Katan admitted. "However, there's no denying that various members of the expedition teams we sent in contracted and died from a disease that then spread like a wild flower through the populated outer areas of the city. It took us months to gain control of it."

"Trust me when I say – don't mess around with Lantean lab equipment," Rodney said, speaking from own experience, sadly thinking back on the incident where John had finally saved everyone by sending an EMP through the system and killed the nasty little replicators that Janus had been playing with.

"Also, none of the things we encountered down there worked properly. Most of the doors are sealed. There's simply nothing of value down there," Katan finished.

"Tensions has been running high ever since," a young communications officer filled in from behind the M.O. "That was over two generations ago."

"The tension escalated into superstition and, propaganda, distrust and political instability when Dadan and his savages waltzed in here to enlighten us about the prophecy. The resistance formed then. The government couldn't handle the situation properly. Ever since we've been on our way to the point of no return which we have now passed; thanks to you and those creepy things that's efficiently killing our people," Katan said coldly.

Nadim looked angry, her cheeks flushed as she defiantly looked up to face the military organizer. "You blame all this on Dadan and the prophecy. He didn't start it and Sheppard and his people certainly didn't start it."

"What's wrong with you people?" Rodney questioned irritably. "Every second counts. We don't have time for this."

"Rodney is right," Lani said as she once again knelt beside John casting a cautious eye at the newly arrived decorated officer behind Katan, namely his SIC, Sha Rodin.

The Atlantis team members sensed the tension in the air.

"Sha, it is time," Lani said seriously.

The blond forty-something man was stoutly built and had an aura of command above him yet he didn't appeared vicious or fearful, not like the military organizer.

Rodin nodded carefully to one of the Alpha team members standing next to Ronon. "Keep your weapons lowered. Time is of the essence here," he said and then turned to his superior officer. "M.O Katan you'll be held at detention in the experimental bunker while the government decide what to build your court-martial on."

Teyla and Rodney carefully glanced at each other, looking equally surprised.

"Lani and I are Triples. We are employed by the government to see to it that peace is ensured on this planet. Katan and Amni have constantly worked against one another for over a year. However, we haven't been able to gather enough intelligence against them when it comes to the chaos around here. Neither have we wished to expose ourselves and given away the identity of our group. These are dangerous times, some of us have disappeared. We have infiltrated several leads on both sides but it is not until now that we feel it safe to make our move," Sha finished and nodded at two Alpha members behind him who quickly moved forward to retrieve their former commander from Ronon's gunpoint.

"What's the latest on the government, Lani?" Sha asked.

"Most of the delegates are safe, there were some unfortunate casualties," she answered seriously. "And before you ask, Dadan and his people are safe."

Katan suddenly laughed. "You think you'll get away with this? You're a fraud. You're not government sanctioned, this is a coup. Let me tell you one thing, the resistance will not win this!"

"None of us will win if we don't do something!" Rodney returned testily. "Do you think the Wraith care about your feeble quarrels? Do you think we care? You know I'm sorry I ever laid eyes upon this gate address. Sheppard is dying, we're stuck deep underground and you've almost depleted the zero point modules so that Askula's defense system wouldn't work!"

"Rodney," Teyla cautioned.

"No, these people blame us for coming here, for bringing the Wraith while it's them who's tapped into things they don't understand and almost depleted the power source and by doing so weakened the shield allowing the Wraith free passage down here!"

Katan glared defiantly at the alien scientist in front of him.

"The Travelers would have flown over this planet anyhow, I don't know why, the Wraith would have picked up their trail and followed them here. The events taking place here would have happened anyway –with or without our presence," Rodney explained in annoyance.

"The prophecy-" Sha began only to be interrupted by a fuming scientist.

"I'm so sick and tired of that word," Rodney returned.

Sha frowned, his hands crossed over his chest.

"It's a long story, Sha, trust them, I'll explain later," Lani said softly even though her eyes never really left her patient.

"We need the chair, McKay, to blow those creeps out of the sky," Ronon said. "I've run from them enough."

"Ronon's right, Rodney. We don't know where the stargate is or if it's even operable," Teyla reasoned.

"The what?" Katan asked dumbfounded and still irritated that strangers seemed to know so much about technology they hadn't been able to decipher.

Rodney waved lazily in the air. "Round big thing with symbols," he explained sourly, as if the man who asked was only three years old.

Sha scratched his head. "The sacred ring, the monument that was destroyed by the spaceship?" He asked.

"It's not a…" Rodney cut himself short. "Why am I even bothering," he asked.

"It is a portal. It let us travel through vast distances in space," Teyla explained. "It should be situated in the Lantean city's top spire."

"How's he?" Ronon asked gruffly, having lost interest in the ongoing conversation, his question directed at the ME still kneeling next to Sheppard.

"I think I've managed to stop the bleeding but I need to go in and do extensive repair work and I can't do that here. I need to get him to hospital," Nadim explained. "The problem is that I won't be able to reach the facility with all the activity on the surface."

"Infirmary," John whispered.

Ronon seemed to understand his train of thought and nodded at Katan. "You come with us as insurance and if something happens on the way and he dies – you die as well," the Satedan explained coldly.

"Nadim and I will take John there, Ronon," Teyla said catching on to Ronon's train of thought and glanced over her friend's shoulder at Katan's SIC. "We could use some help though."

Sha nodded and took a step forward. "I must caution you. The ancient city was scorched after the original battle. Structural collapse has occurred in several places. The place is unstable in parts and those areas are not advisable to enter."

"We don't have to go far, we use the internal citywide transporter," Teyla reassured him.

"I've been there before. I left Tori there with a junior doctor and a nurse," Lani said and turned to Rodin. "Sha, I need a stretcher badly."

He nodded at one of the Alpha members who quickly nodded in return and set off at a run.

"I've heard stories passed on from generation to generation but they talk about a city so vast, so brilliant. A city floating on the ocean that wasn't built on this planet. Of a mighty people capable of travelling the galaxies, of powers beyond comprehension," Sha said dreamingly.

"Nonsense," Katan muttered. "There are no aliens, the prophecy isn't valid. It's only a wish, a reality that does not exist!"

"Not one but many cities," Rodney filled in as he glanced at his team mates. "They gathered here, a lot of them, Atlantis included. Then the Wraith came, Askula stayed behind to defend the others."

The ground suddenly shook beneath them and the lights flickered.

"Right, I still need a city map but at the time I'll trust my memory. On our way here we encountered the Hive. So far it's only one, let's hope it stays that way," Rodney said.

"The sooner we find the chair, the sooner we can blow those bastards sky high," Ronon muttered, itching to do something.

Teyla looked from the determined Satedan to the worried scientist. "Go now we'll take care of John and then I'll catch up with you," she reasoned with urgency.

Ronon didn't need to be told twice. He walked over to McKay and grabbed his arm, dragging the scientist with him as the Alpha member returned with the much needed stretcher.

"You must help them, Carson," John whispered and moaned as the two women carefully slid him onto a stark white stretcher. "They must find the chair."

 _"I'm sorry lad, I can't,"_ he said dejectedly.

"You know," John persisted stubbornly, his voice so low that no one but Carson heard him.

He hesitated. _"I can't interfere, John. I should never have appeared before you,"_ he said regrettably.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you everyone, for following my story ;) I love to hear your thoughts!_


	14. Coming Forward

**Chapter Fourteen – Coming Forward**

The four Alpha team members that Sha had ordered to go with Teyla and Lani were extremely competent and skilled as officers. They trusted Teyla to go ahead with the life signs detector while they followed, one shadowing Teyla, two carrying Sheppard while the last one brought up the rear and had their six.

Even though Teyla felt safe with the team that had been hastily put together, she still wished she had her own team beside her. She shuddered involuntarily at the sight of John's blood on her hands as she glanced at the life signs detector. She was amazed he was still with them after what he'd been through. Teyla was no fool though, and she knew that things could easily go wrong. Besides, Lani Nadim was no miracle worker even though she was highly competent. She didn't know how to operate Lantean equipment, the infirmary was unclean and several vital functions appeared to be nonworking.

Teyla was brought out of her gloomy musings as dots appeared on the small screen before her. She cautioned the team surrounding her and held up her hand to halt them.

OOOOOO

Rounding a corner, Rackie was stonewalled by a large and muscular man carrying a rifle. He slammed into the ground hard and gritted his teeth as he heard the sound of a gun being aimed and unsecured.

"Get up!" A stern voice commanded.

Rackie carefully wiped the blood from his lip and stared at the man he'd done his best to avoid ever since John Sheppard had escaped Amni Lak's clutches – Meren Kal.

"I had my doubts about you before, now I know you aren't a member of the resistance," Kal seethed angrily. "Who are you really?"

"Listen, Kal," Rackie wheezed as he gingerly rose, using the wall for support, ignoring the weapon pointed at him by a resistance member standing next to Meren. "This isn't the time or the place-"

Kal abruptly ended his statement by backhanding him. "You gave us away to Katan's forces!" He shouted. "You brought them upon us, you let them take Sheppard."

"I didn't let them take anyone," Rackie returned in a low voice, but he didn't make a move to get up from the floor. "Katan found you all by himself."

"He has no means to do so," Kal returned evenly. "It was you and that naïve doctor. I cautioned Lak about it, but he chose not to listen."

"Katan has more means than you realize," Rackie returned angrily. "As for M.E Tori – what he does stands for him. I had nothing to do with it. However, you are right about one thing; I'm not a member of the resistance."

The renowned scientist from the Inner Circle smiled evilly, yet triumphantly. "Congratulations for infiltrating our ranks. Still, Katan can't save you now. No one can. The only thing I regret is that I didn't place you in custody alongside Ro Chuk."

"I'm not the enemy and neither was Ro," Rackie returned in a low voice. "Those beings on the surface are. It is them we must fight."

"Tell me, I'm curious. What is Sheppard really?" Kal questioned. "Why could he operate the equipment from the museum?"

Rackie chuckled bitterly as he finally picked himself up from the floor. "He's the link between what has been and what is to come," he returned enigmatically.

"The Inner Circle picked up unusual activity in space a while ago as you well know," Meren began thoughtfully. Life on other planets doesn't exist, at least that's what we believed before those green monsters started to roam this planet."

Rackie nodded. "John Sheppard didn't bring them here," he said. "Whether it's coincidental or not, he's part of the prophecy."

Kal rolled his eyes. "It's made up, don't you see?" He questioned. "There are no such things as flying cities or weapons of such destructive force that it can make the craters like the one surrounding this city. It was a meteorite that caused the destruction so long ago."

"Maybe it's you who can't see?" Rackie countered. "Look around you, this city was built a long time ago by the sky people, as Dadan and the savages call them. I should know shouldn't I? As the renowned engineer I am."

"Now, if it was so, tell me where the inhabitants went and why they didn't stay? Tell me how they got off this planet if it is, as you say, a flying city we are standing in?" Kal asked testily. "Man can't just waltz into space on his own."

"Precisely, it requires technology that none of our ancestors had. It is impossible that this city could have been built here so long ago considering the level of advancement at that time period," Rackie argued.

Meren suddenly glanced at his shoes; a moment of doubts had shone in his eyes as he'd averted them.

"This is uncomfortable for the Inner Circle, I know. This isn't common knowledge but the brilliant physicist who managed to tame the strange powers as it says in our history books died shortly afterwards. He was a member of an early expedition team sent into the old city while our own city was still being built. He was a genius but he also had something no one else had – he had an advantage. Old texts written by his assistant tells about a glow, about technology responding to him. Just like the gadget Amni trusted into Sheppard's hands."

Meren swallowed and Rackie had a feeling he knew all this already but didn't want to accept it.

"He ventured into a strange lab of some kind and he touched something, got engulfed in a bright blue light and fell to the ground. His assistants thought he'd died but after a while he just got up and began to work with the power modulators, he said all was so simple. Like he'd been enlightened," Rackie said solemnly as he watched the scientist's reaction.

Meren Kal pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure.

"His closest assistant claimed he worked night and day until he'd rerouted power from the glowing source to the new instalments directly above which in turn provides this still growing city with the power it needs. He continued to make modifications out through the new city but he could not explain his actions to anyone else," Rackie said and then quickly added as he saw Meren open his mouth to reply. "He changed into something no one could explain. Despite the fact that he ate and slept his body just faded away from existence, like his body was set on dying. The glow, it changed him somehow. The lab was sealed and no one was ever to enter again," Rackie finished.

"A text written by an old deranged man," Kal returned stubbornly. "You can't just choose to die. It is another example on how people wanted the prophecy to be true. That people wanted to believe that the city was magic and dangerous. Speculations ran high after that so called incident. It was suggested that he was a descendant of the sky people. The government put a lid on and he became renowned for his work."

"What I'm trying to say, Meren, is that there is more going on here, it has always been, that could be explained naturally."

"He's right," Lani Nadim's voice carried over the tense situation that had developed not far from them.

Rackie's face lit up with hope as he whirled around just in time for an unknown woman to walk out in the open, together with an Alpha team member, their guns pointed toward him, Kal and the rest of the resistance members behind them.

"Lani?" Rackie questioned in surprise as he recognized the TAC vest and weapon the woman was carrying; it was the same as Sheppard had carried.

The M.E didn't come forward; only her voice could be heard, confusing her colleague even more, and he began to worry that she had been captured. Rackie's mind swirled with a number of possible solutions, including one where he'd actually been wrong about everything and Sheppard had been, as Amni Lak had claimed, a scout coming from the ship.

Before anyone could act further, the unknown woman unsecured her gun. "I'm not in the mood to argue," she let on coldly, and there was a truth in that statement that made Rackie shudder.

Out of the shadows behind her another Alpha team member emerged, strengthening their stand.

The woman spoke up again. This time her voice was softer yet it was a voice that told him she was not to take lightly. "There are five of you, you are outnumbered. The slightest move and we fire; I suggest that you lay down your weapons and cooperate."

"You are not from here," Kal said, sounding astonished while looking directly at the small woman. "You're from the ship just like Sheppard."

"I am Teyla, the gentlemen to my right are Alpha team members. Their temper is much shorter than mine," she said as she was still waiting for Meren and his resistance group to put down their weapons.

As they did as they were told Teyla turned her attention to the young engineer in front of her. "You are Rackie?" she said, her voice softening even more, becoming friendly.

The curly haired man nodded slightly, a faint curl upward creased his lips as he slowly dusted off his clothes and reached up to wipe the blood away from his lower lip. "Yes, ma'am," he said.

As the two Alpha Team members quickly disarmed the small group of people belonging to the resistance, Rackie walked up to Teyla and then glanced over her shoulder into the dark hoping to spot his colleague and he wasn't disappointed, albeit even more confused.

Lani's golden eyes were dark and solemn as she turned to look at him from behind the stretcher carrying John Sheppard. "Time has come to act, Rackie," she said succinctly. "We are coming forward, these are trusted Alpha members and Teyla is a trusted ally. My only regret is that we didn't come to terms sooner, maybe then this grave situation could have been avoided."

Rackie swallowed the bile down as he stared at the severely injured alien. He hated blood, it made him feel light-headed and weak; it was one of the main reasons he'd chosen engineering instead of medicine. "What's happened?" he managed.

"Katan," Lani said darkly. "But his days are numbered, unfortunately so are Sheppard's, he's only got hours unless I can perform some kind of miracle down in the infirmary where he took Tori yesterday."

"They know?" Rackie asked carefully.

Lani sighed deeply, resigned even. "We have to unite the people now Rackie before it's too late. Sha has taken command of the military with a handful of our trusted soldiers but he needs help, all of us need help."

"Lani," Rackie said darkly. "There are plans set into motion, fighting amongst people, the culmination of everything that has been going on for over a year, even longer. It cannot be stopped overnight."

"It has to; otherwise I fear our civilization will be lost, if not severely diminished. Those creatures – the Wraith, they feed, Rackie; they feed on us," she replied.

"There is something you don't know," he said. "Amni Lak is dead, it's been crazy down here. He was shot down by Alphas a little over four hours ago. Since then everything has intensified, I've lost Nani, Rie, I've lost so many Lani, so many," Rackie said hollowly his voice dying away in whisper.

The doctor swallowed, her throat dry at the anguish in his voice.

"So, you do exist," Kal said in resignation. "You are Triples. Amni refused to believe in you, yet he couldn't explain all his luck when it came to information about activities he shouldn't know about."

"It was the only way we could think of to give each side as much information as possible and try to prevent that the tension between the government and the resistance escalated further," Rackie explained rationally.

"This is war, Meren," Lani said seriously. "Is that what you want? A war on two fronts where neither the resistance nor the government win. A ridiculous fight dividing our people, a fight that has no purpose. Over the last few days, the last week even, I've seen things and I've heard things I'd never dreamt about. It's not about us anymore and it's time for us to realize that. The universe holds so much more. Our Ancestors, they were saved by those who built this brilliant city – the sky people. It was them that protected us from harm."

"Lani," Meren said carefully.

"It was our ancestors who carved the pictograms, it was their only way to tell their story about what happened here all those generations ago. I know you are a scientist, Meren, what does your analytical mind tell you?" The young doctor pushed.

The middle aged, slim man swallowed as he turned his full attention on the doctor. "That this is wrong," he whispered. "That somewhere along the line we took the wrong path. We didn't know what had been therefore we couldn't look ahead. The diversion and fear among our society has come gradually and we've let it. The military branch has always been afraid of this. That there might be other life among the stars. That the money spent on the military budget would be taken to other means – to the exploration of space. Afraid that their status would diminish. The Inner Circle has been divided for a long time too."

"Why?" Lani whispered sadly as she gently ran her fingers along Sheppard's jaw till she came to the jugular point and took his pulse.

"Bribes, our society is made up of bribes, of fear of the unknown, of small people and large interests," Meren said truthfully. I know about the activity in space, I've read all the reports. I know about the power fluctuations we've been troubled with lately. I've seen blueprints of a ship similar to the one that roamed the sky earlier, the one we thought Sheppard came from."

"Yet you decided to hide behind Amni Lak and the resistance," Rackie said sourly.

"They followed me, I had little choice. It was to supply them and integrate with them or to be taken, abducted by them with no chance of retaining my status or perhaps even life. I chose to live –regrettably on someone else's expense," the renowned scientist said truthfully.

The resistance members stood dumbfounded behind Meren's back, realizing they'd been discarded by the scientist and that they'd been played all along by different forces and interests. They were lost, realizing that the conspiracy had never really existed.

Rackie nodded. "Meren, this is not a manipulative game, this is real. I want to be able to count on you for the sake of our survival."

"And so you shall," the scientist returned in commitment. "I cannot fight weapons but I can fight insecurity and fear. I know where the reports are and what they stated. I need access to the network, maybe I can send out the information to the masses."

"I'll go with you, I need to get to the military HQ," Rackie said. "We'll be taking this group of people with us," he said determinately as he turned to Teyla. "Can you spare an Alpha to help me?"

"Go," Teyla said to the nearest soldier.

"Take care, Rackie," Lani hollered after him as he set off together with Meren and the others.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you so much for your feedback on the previous chapter, I treasure it ;)_


	15. Nowhere Land

**Chapter Fifteen – Nowhere Land**

John Sheppard awoke from his slumber to the brightest white room he'd ever seen. He squinted and then carefully, yet curiously, made a 360 degree turn to take in his surroundings. He felt at ease, at peace with himself, and it was the strangest feeling; not totally unlike his meditative moments with Hedda and the others a few years ago. Except this time, no one seemed to be accompanying him.

"Why am I here?" he whispered, his words echoing faintly.

 _"Because you chose to be here,"_ a voice answered softly, before his deceased friend and former CMO of Atlantis appeared before him.

John nodded slowly, a faint despair rising within his hazel eyes. "So this is it?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

 _"No, John,"_ Carson returned. _"This is between what has been and what is to come."_

"Elizabeth?" He asked hesitantly.

 _"She's not here,"_ Carson said bemusedly.

"Why?" He questioned. "She's dead!"

Carson shook his head tearing his blue eyes away from the anguished hazel ones. _"No, she's not,"_ he finally admitted.

Stunned by the revelation, John didn't know what to say so he just stared at the Scottish doctor before him.

 _"It's complicated, John, I wish you hadn't asked. I can't tell you…"_

"Is there anything you can tell me?" the colonel finally exploded, having had enough of all the cryptic answers given to him.

Ice blue eyes turned to look at him once again. _"You have to choose life,"_ Carson said, once again giving a cryptic answer.

"My life is ending, Carson," he whispered in frustration. "My life is ending; I'm only a hindrance to my team. I wish they'd left me behind and gone back to Atlantis before they join me."

Now it was the doctor's turn to look frustrated and his usually soft voice took on a tone of anger. _"Self-pity doesn't suit you, John. You simply cannot let go. It is not your turn-"_

"How do you know, Carson?" he demanded. "Can you see into the future now?"

The doctor shook his head sadly. "It's not that simple. Life is not predestined."

"Where's the gate?" John suddenly asked.

 _"You know I can't tell you,"_ Carson cautioned.

"Why? You can tell me to hang on. That's as much interfering as telling me where the gate is," he argued.

 _"What purpose would it serve?"_ Carson whispered sadly. _"You can't talk to them anyway."_

John swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "I-" he began.

 _"It's out of your hands, lad. Rodney, Teyla, Ronon; they'll stay with you till the end if they have to. Don't you see? They leave no one behind. That's your words – your motto, and that's saved a lot of brave souls."_

John's eyes turned downcast and Carson could see he was moved, his eyes filling to the brim with tears.

 _"They took a jumper here, through the space gate_ ," Carson explained. _"They left Lorne and Jennifer behind, both of them would have come too if they could have. I believe the point in all this is for you to see what you've instilled in others."_

John raised his eyes to level with the doctor's.

 _"You've brought hope to so many Pegasus-born people. You've saved Ronon from being hunted, freed the Athosians from living in fear without hope."_

"Don't flatter me, Carson," he returned flatly.

 _"I give credit when credit is due, Colonel,"_ he replied.

John nodded reluctantly. "Will they find it?" he asked, thinking about the gate.

 _"Cheeky bugger,"_ Carson returned with a gleam in his eye. _"Have faith in them."_

OOOOOO

"Sir," A young member of the ground troops said as soon as Katan and Rodin walked through the last door separating them from the command central.

Katan was about to give the man a dressing down but was surprised as the 'Sir' was actually directed toward his SIC and sighed as he felt the presence of the two Alpha members behind him.

"Sir, I regret to inform you that we've lost contact with several mark bounded troops. They've been taken hostage by those aliens. Shall we let another team be taken to go in and free those who've disappeared?"

Sha smiled sadly, in frustration, as he looked at the man before him, a green private who'd no doubt been sent back to report since communications were sporadic at best. He then shook his head. How could he explain to the young man that his friends and comrades could not be saved? That the scenarios of search and rescue that they'd been trained in didn't apply to this situation? That the creatures roaming the sky fed on them and that there was nothing to recover and even if there was there would be no way to get back to the planet?

"No," Sha finally answered, his voice soft yet commanding. "There is no way to recover those who have been lost. They are casualties of war. I shall give the order to retreat and to protect the civilians at all costs. We cannot hold out against such an enemy by troops alone. Your focus should be on the ground stations, firing at the small ships."

"Sir," another soldier, standing in close contact with the stations, called over the klaxons in the semi dark command central. "We have lost three out of six stations. Repair teams have been sent but not all have reached their destination. The engineers are afraid of working on the front line."

"I understand that," Sha returned seriously. "Their sacrifice will be remembered. There is simply no other way. I can only hope that our allies down in the city of Askula can aid us."

Katan snorted. "You'll never make it, Sha. This is beyond your control. Turn command back to me before it's too late."

Sha's eyes sparkled as he turned to glare at his former superior officer. "What purpose does it serve to gloat at our own people's expense?" he questioned and then nodded to the Alpha team member behind Katan's back. "Lieutenant, please see to it that M.O Katan is taken into custody. I don't need his supportive advice at the moment."

"It is too late, Sha," Katan said with a menacing smile as he was taken away. "It is too late."

OOOOOO

"Master Dadan," one of the young soldiers said carefully as he walked up next to the old and wise man. "Once you enter there is no return."

A ghost of a smile appeared on the wrinkled face before him and a large warm hand was placed on his shoulder. Dadan looked deep into the young man's eyes. "Listen, son, a long time ago this city and its inhabitants saved our ancestors ensuring the continuation of our tribe. We have been wrong in fearing her all those years. Those of us who ventured in generations ago was not careful in their search for the truth, it was an accident that they never returned."

The man nodded hesitantly and Dadan could see he wanted to ask something.

"Speak your mind, son," he suggested warmly.

"The prophecy says the sky people will one day return. Those people, Master Dadan, those who we fought, whom we tried to drive away –they are sky people?" he finally asked.

Dadan nodded slowly, he still had a hard time to understand it all himself. "They are descendants. They are our hope of survival," he returned seriously. "That is why we must help them in any way we can."

"They ensured our survival, we will die in honor for them," the young man said solemnly yet proudly.

"We will aid them to solve this peacefully, that is the way of our ancestors," Dadan corrected as he glanced behind the man before him and proudly let his eyes roam over the twenty savage soldiers who'd followed him to the old city.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you guys for your kind words and also for your questions, I hope they'll be answered soon enough ;)_


	16. Obstacles

**Chapter Sixteen – Obstacles**

Rodney McKay gritted his teeth as the ground shook beneath his feet. He didn't fancy being deep underground, not if he could avoid it. The old hallways seemed like a maze. He and Ronon had walked for what felt like hours; several times they had been forced to turn around and try another way due to structural collapse.

"I really hope the chair room is where you think it is, McKay," Ronon said gruffly as he wiped his forehead clean of perspiration and dust.

"So do I," Rodney muttered sourly as he stared down at his dirty and scraped fingertips and life signs detector in hand.

They walked in silence, fine dust raining down on them like a drizzle. Irritated, Rodney wiped the screen clear of dust with his sleeve.

"Another dead end, McKay," Ronon said, his voice hard and tinged with frustration.

Rodney glanced up from the detector and pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he came face to face with a solid wall of dirt, soil and rocks. "Great," he piped up sarcastically. "I've run out of ideas to get around this type of distraction."

"There might not be anything left," Ronon said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "From what we've seen, this might not be a cave in with free passageway on the other side, it might be-"

"And I thought I was the one who was pessimistic," Rodney interrupted, his words tinged with annoyance.

Ronon shrugged. "Fine, where do we start?" he asked as he walked forward and started to look for weaknesses in the caved in wall.

Mumbling something unintelligible Rodney pocketed the life signs detector and came to stand next to the Satedan. "Okay, let's get this over with, I really start to hate this place," he said sourly.

"What's there not to like, McKay?" Ronon asked with a wicked grin on his face as he dug into the dirt.

OOOOOO

Teyla wrung her hands, itching to do something instead of just sitting on a chair. It had been at least an hour since she'd helped scrub the theatre clean of all the dust and grime. With the help of the junior doctor, Lani had then taken John into the room to finish repairing his severely injured body.

The nurse was left outside to see to M.E Tori, and Teyla watched her do her round for the second time, attend to the man, take his vitals and ask how he was faring.

The Athosian couldn't resist the urge to get up and pace the room. After what felt like forever, she finally came to a stop at the large window next to the doctor's office. Instead of the vast ocean and the piers of the city, she saw nothing but soil and darkness on the other side of the cracked glass. The lights flickered in and out occasionally as the Zero Point Modules were nearly depleted, the Wraith culling above did nothing to keep the power levels from dropping.

How she wished to see the sun stream in through the beautiful arched window and to smell the fresh air of their own Lantean city, instead she grimaced as she took a deep breath of the old and trapped air deep underground. Cautiously, she stared at the large double door separating her from her team mate. She forced down her fears and swallowed as she thought about him. So much and so many had already been lost; Carson, the compassionate and warm doctor, the steady leader figure and ever diplomatic Elizabeth Weir, scores of scientists and soldiers.

Atlantis had taken damage during her escape from the Asuran beam, her own ZPMs almost depleted. The path taken recently had been dangerous, but had in the end led to another planet and to a reconnection to the gate system and Earth, but Teyla wondered sadly how much more the expedition could lose before itself became lost. John Sheppard seemed to be the one man who held it together at the moment and if he was about to die here, she feared for what was to come.

For the first time in a long time Teyla really feared for the future. All that blood that John had lost; she couldn't give any to him, Ronon couldn't either and Rodney's blood type was not compatible. There had been cross matching between the Askulans present and John as well but Lani didn't dare to set up a transfusion anyway, even though it seemed the nurse and John where compatible. Teyla wished to see the young face of Jennifer Keller and a team of medics but she knew it wasn't to be.

The Athosian sighed deeply as she turned away from the window and picked up her P90 to strap it tight to her TAC vest once again. She grabbed the life signs detector and strode out the infirmary doors. She was no use to John waiting, but maybe she could help him by helping the others. She nodded at the two Alpha team members just outside the room.

"Please, stay here and see to it that no one enters," she said.

OOOOOO

"I wish I'd never set foot on this godforsaken planet," Rodney complained loudly as he scraped his thumb on something sharp.

"Don't be such a baby, McKay," Ronon returned.

"We've been at it for hours and I don't think…" he trailed off at the sound of footsteps coming their way.

Ronon quickly reached over and into Rodney's pocket to retrieve the life signs detector. The screen lit up at the touch, already initiated by Rodney's ATA gene. The screen filled with white dots causing the Satedan to swallow and McKay to blanch. There was simply nowhere to go.

Ronon bristled as he reached for his gun while Rodney shrank back before staring in utter bewilderment at the men coming toward them.

"Somehow, I do not believe you expected to see us?" Dadan said with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as Rodney straightened and adjusted his jacket.

"Something like that," the scientist muttered.

"I see that you have reached a dead end," Dadan spoke up, ignoring Rodney's mutterings.

"All of them are dead ends," Rodney returned in annoyance, not really meaning to take out his frustration on Dadan but he simply couldn't help it.

Dadan nodded and made no affair of it. "I take it that something important should be on the other side?" he asked curiously.

"Yes," Rodney said with urgency as he ran a dirty hand through his dusty hair.

"Then you must stand aside so that we can dig out a passage for you," Dadan said simply and nodded at the soldiers who had followed him.

Ronon and Rodney stood back as ten of the twenty men moved forward and began to work on the cave in.

Within an hour the hallway had been cleared and reinforced to the extent that it was safe to walk through.

"I wish you'd come sooner," Rodney said in appreciation as he led the group further into the core of the old city.

"The way here was tricky and dangerous," Dadan answered.

Rodney nodded solemnly.

The large team consisting of Rodney and Ronon together with Dadan and his soldiers walked in silence, every step a cautious one due to the structural integrity of the area they were passing and the possibility of dots showing on the life signs detector even if the latter wasn't very likely.

Dadan watched in muted fascination as the old lights flared to life when the descendants of the sky people passed. Large, heavy doors opened as the smaller man swiped his hand at the console next to them. It was indeed the magic of the sky people Dadan was seeing before him. He saw the large eyes of his young soldiers and knew that they were even more convinced of the power the two people in front of them carried.

After several twists and turns they were once again stopped by structural collapse. This time not a big one, but enough to set them back.

Rodney cursed under his breath as the doors before them refused to budge. The display lit up at his touch but then nothing happened. He took a step back and saw to his dismay that the beam above the sliding double door was strained by the heavy forces bearing down on it and therefore didn't allow the door to open.

"Another type of structural problem," Ronon said succinctly.

"We'll never be able to free it of its load," Rodney deduced with a sigh.

"What happened to your positive approach?" Ronon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Never had one, didn't Sheppard told you?" He returned testily and then his mood sank even further as he thought back on his dying friend. Something sparked in his eyes and he turned in determination to Dadan who was standing next to him.

"Dadan, instruct your soldiers to stand on each other, foot on shoulders so that together two and two they can reach the beam above the doorframe. Have them stand five on each side while the rest of them try and pry the door open," Rodney said.

"I am afraid I don't follow your train of thought but I'll have them do as you say," the old man assured him as he saw the determination in the scientists face.

Five minutes later Ronon found himself secretly wishing for a camera as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest watching as ten men, five on each side, in teams of two tried to offload the construction above the door, while another five men on each side tried to pry the door open. Ironically, it looked like some sort of team exercise that Sheppard liked to give to the new marines and civilians that walked through the gate.

Rodney watched as the door amazingly started to budge, inch by inch, until it was opened as much as it was required for them to pass.

He wasted no time as he took up the lead again and walked down the previously dark ancient hallway. "I hope I'm right," he whispered as he walked up to the end of the hallway and swiped his hand over the console to open the door.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	17. A Fighting Chance

**Chapter Seventeen – A Fighting Chance**

A large room was revealed, the corners hidden in shadow. Rodney stood back as several of the native tribespeople walked into it, their torches flaring. He could hear the gasps from inside as they took in their surroundings. Rodney hesitated before walking into the room, almost afraid to see what it contained. Then his face broke into a wide grin and felt Ronon slap him on the back, because in the middle of the room stood a chair.

It wasn't ideal because, usually, he was the one who oversaw the readings and saw to it that everything was in working order, but today he had to sit in the chair himself. Sheppard was no longer at his side and Carson was dead, Lorne was back on Atlantis.

Rodney swallowed, feeling his mouth go dry, he trusted Ronon with his life, he really did, but when it came to things like this the Satedan hadn't a clue about what to look for and how to prevent errors and fluctuations.

"What's wrong, McKay?" Ronon asked.

Rodney shook his head. "Nothing," he said then threw his hands in the air theatrically. "Everything."

Ronon watched him walk over to the control board and swipe it clean of dust and debris. It came to life as soon as it felt the ATA gene carrier and started humming softly.

Several of the young soldiers took a step back as the room was bathed in light, but Dadan silently communicated that everything was as it should be.

"How does it look?" Ronon asked curiously as he walked over to the scientist, staring over his shoulder.

Rodney's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Apparently the drone room is almost empty, there are only ten left," he said in a hollow voice.

Ronon shrugged. "Ten would be enough to blow those freaks out of the sky," he returned. "Sheppard's taken out a Hive with only nine. I've heard him brag about it."

Rodney turned to his team mate, his face a mask of anger and frustration, his eyes cold as he spoke up once again. "There are several things that are different here. For one, Sheppard is a fighter pilot thus skilled in combat and possesses a fair amount of expertise in firing on moving targets. Then there's the fact that I was there to monitor him and give him assistance by constantly adjusting the system."

Ronon looked at him, not sure what he was on about. "So, our odds are a bit worse," he said casually.

"A bit?" The scientist echoed in amazement before he exploded. "I've only fired at a Hive once and I used a lot more than ten drones, also I had Zelenka to oversee the systems, at least he was a scientist and knew what he was looking at – don't go tell him I told you that, ever."

"Show me," Ronon reasoned. "What are our options?"

"Fine, let's say that we've solved that problem, then there's only one major obstacle left; we don't have the power left to fire," Rodney finished.

"Doctor McKay," Dadan said carefully. "There was a glowing crystal of power that you found of great value upon your first visit."

Rodney whirled around to face the old man. "Yes, it was a Zero Point Module. A power source, just like-" he trailed off as he walked over to the dark power station just behind the chair and knelt next to it, staring at the faint glow of the almost depleted ZPM. "If I at least had had one, then we could have fired, three are only required for space flight."

Behind Rodney's back, Dadan nodded toward one of the young men with a bag strapped by a rope over his shoulder. The old man's face split into a large smile. "Taree, bring me the magical power," he said.

Ronon, still wary of the tribespeople and everything else going on around them, carefully let his hand wander to the hilt of his gun.

Dadan beckoned for the young man to step forward and then carefully retrieved the Zero Point Module. He gave it to Rodney, his eyes twinkled and spoke of wisdom as he then took a step back waiting for the scientist to take action.

Temporarily at loss for words, Rodney just stared at the power he held in his hands before he snapped out of it and sprang into action. With a careful yet knowing hand he exchanged one of the dark modules with the one he'd just received. The power station lit up at once, the new zero point module installing itself, connecting to the system.

OOOOOO

Rackie ducked as dust from the cracked ceiling rained down on them. Meren was suddenly close to him.

"I don't know about you but I think this must come to an end," Meren said seriously.

"I do know that had you not given Amni Lak extra resources and helped him plan certain events, the resistance would never have been as strong as it is and maybe we would not have been at the brink of civil war and beyond," Rackie returned angrily.

"That's unfair giving me all the responsibility for everything that has gone wrong over the past year," Meren said, his voice neither angry nor defiant, but devoid of all emotions. "Do you not see the whole picture? Dadan and the prophecy, the government and the power failures, the shimmering sky and the media's constant propaganda and the way to undermine everything that has been creating stability for the people?"

Rackie nodded thoughtfully, sadly as he led the way toward the experimental bunker. "What do you hope to achieve in the media house?" he asked carefully.

"To broadcast the truth, to give them information and bring order to this chaos. I just hope that Sha will manage to get rid of those creatures above and that we can still unite people."

OOOOOO

Teyla held the life signs detector in a steady grip as she hastily made her way back to the end of the old city. It was a dangerous route to take but she judged it to be safer than going straight up the ladder onto the market street. She was aware that the Alpha teams or members of the resistance could easily stop her on the way, but her despair was such that she didn't care. Rodney needed a city map and he'd seen one at the museum. If it could help them find the gate she was at least going to try and reach the place safely. Lani had explained the way to Rodney while she and Ronon were still in the jumper so she was confident she would find it but she wasn't sure about the hindrance on the way.

Twenty minutes later, her body high on adrenaline, Teyla reached the door leading to the experimental bunker. The Lantean door obediently opened to let her inside the corridor where disaster had struck a few hours earlier, and she shivered, recalling her friend and team leader lying in a pool of blood before her. His blood was still on the ground, a stark contrast to the rest of the place. Teyla took a deep breath and concentrated on how to get the next door open. She retrieved the keycard John had had on him and carefully, double checking the life signs detector, slid the card into the holder. The door opened before her to reveal a large, long brightly lit white hallway.

Without warning a klaxon started to blare above her head and flashes of yellow light cascaded the walls. Within a few seconds several black clad Alpha members had poured out of hidden doors before her, weapons raised.

OOOOOO

Sha glanced seriously at the lone woman in the hallway displayed on one of the security monitors and then grimly hit a button.

"This is Military Defense Officer Rodin, bring the woman to control immediately," he said curtly.

Things were still a bit haphazard and shaky in the ranks and he didn't trust all his officers at the moment, some of them still allied themselves with Katan and what he stood for. However, he doubted that anyone could deny the existence of aliens at the moment. In a way it had turned in his own favor.

Suddenly a door opened behind him to reveal the sleek, alien woman.

"Sha?" Teyla asked curiously.

He nodded grimly. "Things are not going well at the moment," he let on. "How's Lani, Sheppard and the others?"

"For the moment, they are safe in Askula's infirmary. I am afraid that Colonel Sheppard's life is hanging by a thread. I can only hope that your friend will be able to save him."

"Lani was the best in her class, if there is anyone here that can attempt such a rescue it will be her," he assured her.

Teyla nodded sadly yet with a glimmer of hope. "I need to reach the museum," she said with determination.

"I cannot let you do that," he said.

"I was not aware that I was a prisoner on this world?" Teyla returned.

"Rest assured that you're not, Teyla. The creatures have advanced and it's suicidal to walk out on the streets in this instance," Sha returned, his voice softer, concerned even.

"Rodney needs a city map of Askula and there is one back at the museum. I need to get it for him," she reasoned.

"Perhaps there is another way," Rackie said as he stepped into the room, having heard the last of the conversation.

"Explain, Rackie," Sha said tiredly.

"I might be able to get it here on a link," he suggested brightly.

"The communication network has been severely damaged," Sha cautioned.

"That's not what I had hoped to hear," Meren said with a sigh as he too stepped into the room.

Several of the younger officers tensed at the presence of the renowned scientist. Two Alpha team members stepped up behind the man ready to take him away.

Sha shook his head. "Meren Kal is on our side, leave him be," he said.

"But, sir," one of the soldiers protested.

"That is an order. Now if you want to help you get Meren to the Council building and help him bring out all the files and data he needs," Sha said and watched the scientist leave once again accompanied with several armed Alpha team members, before turning to Rackie. "Do you really think you can help Teyla get the city map from here?"

The engineer nodded. "I think I can. Use the security cameras channel and open up a connection. I'll do the rest."

Sha nodded and did as he was told. With the intendents help at the other end, it took them only fifteen minutes to locate, send and study the map on one of the screens in the military command center.

"Seems I owe you, Rackie," Sha said in appreciation. "Can I repay you by sending you to the front?" he said seriously yet with a hint of teasing.

The young engineer shook his head sadly. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to kill me," he mused. "What's wrong?"

"We've lost several of the ground stations. We can't fire back at the ships and your so called colleagues at the Engineering Section refuse to go there, afraid to lose their lives."

"I hate to be the one to tell you but it sounds fairly reasonable," Rackie returned with a twinkle in his eyes. "However, I saw some of the more courageous engineers among the old ancient hallways down below, those siding with the resistance."

"Will they help?" Sha asked carefully.

Rackie chuckled. "I've always been good at persuasion."

Sha's lips curled slightly upwards and then nodded. "Wait for me, I'll come with you."

"Are you crazy?" Rackie asked incredulously. "What if they kill you down there?"

"Do you have a better suggestion? How are you going to persuade the still fighting members of Katan's teams down there on your own?" he asked innocently. "Besides, we need to find the Stargate, Teyla needs to find her team members and I'm not letting her go on her own."

Both men glanced at the screen from behind Teyla's back staring the map displaying the old city. Both men became instantly aware of Askula's greatness and resources, of what she had once been and how big she actually was. They had only scraped the surface.

"If only Rodney were here," Teyla said gloomily. "He might have been able to connect it to Askula's system so that we could see what parts of the city are still intact."

"You can do that?" Rackie asked amazed. "Your ancestors were really something," he mumbled.

"I hate to break Rackie's delirium and delight, but as of what I can gather from my limited understanding of the layout of the cityship, the main control room and other important functions was situated at the top spire in the middle of the city. That would have been beneath the large structure of what is now Hospital Section One."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, all three of them caught up in their own nightmarish scenarios of what was to come.

Then, suddenly another alarm shrilled through the department causing their attention to wander to the screens displaying the hellish fighting outside.

"What is that?" The communications officer shouted as he magnified the picture, zooming in on a large ship descending from the sky.

Teyla tensed as she could hear the thoughts of the strong queen onboard.

"It is the Wraith," she said seriously and her voice was so full of conflicted emotion that it chilled Sha to the bone. "It's the mothership. I'm afraid that it's too late to aid the stations, they will all be lost within minutes."

"Aim everything we've got at that thing!" Sha ordered.

The command was executed and there was a shudder through the building at the unleashed firepower. The Hive shuddered and then straightened after the onslaught as if it had merely been tickled and annoyed.

"Almost no effect!" The officer at the fire executing station shouted over the klaxon. "She's taken out the firing stations among the city and now she's aiming for us!"

"We must leave immediately," Teyla urged, knowing the enormous firepower a Hive possessed.

However, it was too late. Sparks began to fly as several shots hit the military command control, the ceiling collapsed above them and the structural integrity began to budge. The reinforced structure broke apart and debris rained down on them. Teyla grabbed Sha's arm in an effort to push him toward the exit and Rackie followed suit but they never reached the door.

Buried under the rubble of what had once been a proud building in the middle of the city they never saw the bright light rise from the ground and with a precision as exact as a millimeter hit its' target dead center, taking out the Hive, fracturing its hull, causing it to break apart.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you all for following this story and for taking time to review. My apologies for the delay in posting! I wish you all a wonderful Christmas._


	18. Bitter Sweet Success

**Chapter Eighteen – Bitter Sweet Success**

Rodney let out a shaky breath as he disengaged from the chair and sat up straight. A thin sheen of perspiration from the strain glistened on his forehead and upper lip while his cheeks were flushed. He swayed slightly as he rose from the chair and was caught by the elbow of the wise Dadan.

"You truly possess amazing powers," the old man said sombrely. "But I can see it has its price."

Rodney swallowed and nodded casting a glance at his trembling hands. "I'll be all right," he said, but his words lacked his usual confidence.

Ronon smiled maliciously as he studied the small HUB that stated the Hive was lost. His satisfaction knew no end. Then he turned to his friend and became serious. "McKay, are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Rodney whispered as he straightened and made his way over to the consoles, where the Satedan stood, to check for himself that Hive had been destroyed.

"That was some shooting; didn't know you had it in you," Ronon remarked.

"Desperate times, desperate measures," the scientist mumbled under his breath then relaxed a little as he saw that the Hive was truly gone. "Now, on to the next problem."

"Which one; the mark bound Wraith troops, the divided and fighting people of the planet or the Stargate?" Ronon asked casually.

Rodney turned to his colleague with a sarcastic expression. "You really have to work on your positive attitude, Ronon," he said.

A faint smile spread over the Satedan's lips but he ignored the remark.

"There is still power down here," Rodney mused. "Maybe I can call up the database?"

Ronon watched as his team mate's fingers flew over the controls his face set in deep concentration only to be replaced by a look of defeat the next minute.

"It's no use, I can't establish a connection," he explained. "Not that I should have been able to if the security measures set up here are as tight as on Atlantis but it was worth a try."

"We are at your disposal, Doctor McKay," Dadan spoke up from behind. "Where do we go next?"

"The control room. Only I don't know where it is exactly and I don't know if it's still intact or completely destroyed."

Dadan nodded thoughtfully as if searching his memory. "'The room of power and magic, situated many meters above the ground, in the heart of the city'," he said ruefully.

Rodney lit up with hope at the recited words.

"'Behold the vast city crumples under the excruciating fire brought upon it'," one of the young soldiers said in a hollow voice.

"'It fractures in many places, some of it disappearing into the sky never to be seen again'," another voice continued.

"You thought it was one," Rodney whispered as he tried to imagine the sight of the battle so long ago.

"Our ancestors were nomadic people, Doctor McKay," Dadan said. "They never saw it as several cities – only one. They never saw them land on the planet, as I'm sure they must have done."

"'The ones who were lost, they served a purpose, they gave life to the rest of us so that we could prevail, so that we could chase darkness and turn it into light'," Ronon suddenly said, causing Rodney to stare at him in utter disbelief.

"It was a statement, famous words, part of a tale we were told as children," Ronon explained. "I never thought it held any real meaning, never connected it to a real event."

Rodney shook his head. "Let's leave the tales for a while, okay?" he said. "Dadan, do the pictograms show the Stargate being built anywhere?"

The old man shook his head sadly. "No, it has always been there," he replied.

"Then you don't know if it is Askula's gate or if the city had its own," Rodney deduced seriously.

"Why would it be this city's gate, McKay?" Ronon asked.

The scientist shrugged. "Why not?" he stated to no one in particular. "If they all landed here, they all had a gate. Why build another on the planet?"

"Dunno, McKay, that's for you to figure out," Ronon returned casually.

"I need a sparring partner…" he saw the look on Ronon's face and hastily added sarcastically; "Not in that sense, cave man. I meant intellectually."

In Sheppard's absence it was Dadan, who unknowingly took his role as a meddling man, used to using diplomacy many times between the young warriors.

"Perhaps you're both right in a sense," he started carefully. "Maybe it was the Ring of the Old Ones taken from the magic city. That would be unfortunate since it means that there is no other to look for. Then again, if it's not, time is wasted here. There are three mystical buildings that rise high above the city people's own city. I have seen them on my walking rounds early in the morning but there's never any light and they are a long way from here."

"If we were to walk to the closest ICWT would you be able to deduce their location, using the map of the city?"

Dadan had the composure to look unperturbed even though he didn't understand what the man in front of him was saying.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Internal City Wide Transporter, a small room which acts as a node. It literally takes you to another place within the city without the need of walking," he explained.

"Another magic device created by the sky people," Dadan said mystically.

"Yes," Rodney returned succinctly as he started walking toward the nearest transporter point.

OOOOOO

John Sheppard was pacing in annoyance, his hands clasped behind his back. Then, one look at the doctor caused him to stop and frown.

"Carson, what's wrong?" he asked suddenly.

 _"Teyla,"_ he whispered eerily, causing goose bumps all over John's body.

The colonel walked over to stand opposite the Scottish doctor, his hands on the other man's shoulders. "What, Carson?" he demanded worriedly.

As his old friend and CMO opened his mouth to speak he was engulfed by a bright light and John felt his hands fall to his sides as the doctor faded out of existence.

 _"I am sorry, John, Carson wants to help you, we all do, but it is not allowed."_

John listened to the soft female voice, recognizing it. "Teer," he whispered.

 _"Life is dangerous, John,"_ she said seriously. _"That is why we chose to remain in the cloister. You never called us cowards straight out but I know you thought so at times. I'm forever grateful you entered the sacred place even though it was not your intention. You helped us understand the final piece of the puzzle that was necessary for us to ascend. And like I said then, John. We will meet again, I'm looking forward to it but like then you're not ready for this kind of life."_

"What's happening, Teer?" John asked worriedly. "What's happened to Teyla?"

 _"All is as it should be,"_ the woman replied cryptically. _"I've taken Carson back with me to where he now belongs. It is time for you to return as well, John."_

Then it hit him all at once. The pain, the excruciating white hot pain, the overwhelming sense of despair, the shaking of the ground beneath him and the murky air. He thought he heard the shrill of beeping machines and a woman's voice, but he couldn't be sure before he was pushed into oblivion.

OOOOOO

Teyla choke on a breath as she inhaled the fine dust in the air around her. She recoiled and tried to hug her knees in an effort to stop the pain in her body but she couldn't. Something was lying over her legs, effectively pinning her in place. She took a moment to listen but all she heard was silence. The darkness was slowly setting over the landscape and as she looked she saw faint stars. For a moment she just stared at them, not comprehending how she could see them. Her eyes swept over the utter destruction around her and she gulped as she realized that the building she'd been standing in now lay in ruins.

Fear gripped the Athosian as she waited for the inevitable end to come, knowing that the Hive was out there. She tried to wiggle free of the debris trapping her and was somewhat surprised that she was able to move. Something trickled down her forehead as she crawled out beneath the chunks of concrete and she reached up with her hand to wipe it away. Her fingers came away red and she swallowed the bile threatening to rise in her throat. The latter however was only partly due to her headache. As she slowly, gingerly made to stand she saw the dead bodies around her, those who had not been as fortunate as herself. She swallowed again and made her way over the rubble to stand on shaky legs at the edge of the slab to, what once had been, the third floor to look out over the city. For a moment her heart stopped as she glanced below, then a faint upward curl appeared on her lips. There lay the Hive, broken into pieces.

"Rodney," she whispered with relief. "You made it."

Something heavy fell down to the ground behind her causing her to jump and then, in her exhausted state, she fell down on her knees. She watched as a hand and then an arm became visible under the rubble and then a blonde head.

"Sha!" Teyla shouted and with some effort made her way over to offer her hand.

The military officer gratefully accepted the help and with common strength they managed to get up. Sha leaned heavily on the small Athosian, his eyes dull but full of sparkling determination at the same time.

"Thank you, Teyla," he said and then eyed her with concern. "You are injured."

Teyla shook his worry away. "It's only superficial," she assured him. "You, on the other hand, are another matter."

She took in his torn clothes and the bright red blood that she glimpsed beneath them.

"It's nothing I can't handle," he said grimly and straightened.

Despite that he had hidden it very well, Teyla didn't miss the painful wince as he turned to watch what she had been looking at only moments before.

"Rodney and Ronon destroyed it," Teyla said proudly over his shoulder then her voice took on a darker tone. "They are coming, they are walking the streets below, those of them who have not already been killed. I sense them."

Sha swallowed as he turned to look at her, saw the determination on her grim face as she readied her weapon that was still amazingly attached to her TAC vest.

"There are many things I do not understand," he let on in a subdued voice. "How can you know without looking at your little gadget that they are still living?"

"A long time ago the Wraith used my people to experiment on; they gave us their DNA. They unknowingly gave us an advantage. It was a foolish act that somehow connected us to each other," she explained coldly.

Sha nodded as he involuntarily shuddered thinking they'd been fortunate. He refrained from asking anything more as he slowly, in agony, moved over the debris to where Rackie had once been standing. Fear of what he would find crept over him as he gently lowered himself on his knees to search for his friend and colleague.

Teyla quickly followed him cursing that she had lost the life signs detector. It would have been so much quicker to read the screen, to see which of those poor souls that lay buried under the rubble that was alive. She had liked the young and somewhat reckless engineer and had a feeling they needed his help if they were to aid the rest of her team and to defeat the Wraith on the planet once and for all.

The military officer, now the leader, cast into that role not unlike John had been when he first came to Pegasus, was grieving the young communications officer he'd pulled free. He gently closed the unseeing eyes of the dead man and laid his hat over the young face. In silence he gingerly rose and moved on to the boot that lay visible a short distance away.

"Rackie," he whispered as he once again knelt to the fallen. His face blanched and Teyla came to sit next to him, to help him. There was something in his grim expression that told her he'd found the man he was looking for.

"Sha?" Teyla asked carefully.

"Rackie is an engineer, he doesn't carry the standard military boot and he was the only one that didn't, exempt you, in this room," he said gloomily.

Teyla hastily glanced down at Sha's feet and then at the half buried man, realizing they didn't match. She froze as Sha's hand, which he'd gently put on the engineer's trousers, was instantly colored in red.

"Rackie?" Sha said with a slight tremble in his voice.

The only thing that answered was the slight howling of the wind.

Teyla saw Sha setting his jaw in determination as he gingerly got up again and headed over to clear the communications console free of the debris. The bloodied hand swept over the panel while the other one pushed a sequence in rapid succession. The panel lit up only to blow up an instant later, causing the military defense officer to curse under his breath and slam his hand on the piece of junk.

"Sha?" Teyla asked softly as she made his way over to him.

"The damn fool needs medical evacuation," he said angrily and then swayed on his feet. "I can't help him."

"Please, why don't you sit down?" Teyla said concerned. "I'm not in danger and I'm fairly unscathed. I'll go get some help."

"I can't ask you to do that," Sha said wearily. "It's not your fight, Teyla. I'm sorry you had to come here and witness it."

She placed a hand on his shoulder to give it a comfortable squeeze. "We're here. It is as much our fight as yours now. We have shall we say a mutual interest. If it weren't for you and Lani we would have had much more difficulty in retrieving our friend."

Their eyes met for a moment, both determined and deadly serious. Sha then relented and nodded in resignation. "Go, Teyla," he whispered.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/I truly appreciate your feedback and encouraging words ;) thank you. I hope you'll like this new chapter._


	19. Revelations

**Chapter Nineteen - Revelations**

Lani stared after the junior doctor she'd had as her aide as he walked out of the room. Her legs trembled and she had to hold on to the bed for support as exhaustion swept over her. For several hours she'd fought to save John Sheppard's life; two times she'd been convinced he'd died, one time she'd almost stopped breathing herself.

The medical examiner stared at her patient, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. He looked so peaceful in his induced sleep, so young – gone was the burden of command, the lines of worry and tightness of pain around his eyes. Still, even though she'd managed to repair his badly injured body, he was from out of danger. She wouldn't say she'd done a hasty work but so many complications could easily occur in his condition and down here in the trapped air, with old germs, without proper equipment and the required blood for a transfusion she could only sit by and watch him die.

Lani carefully reached up with her still gloved hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks only to sob as she realized the glove was red with his blood. A surge of anger and despair coursed through her body as she undid the gloves and threw them on the floor. She then sank to her knees next to the bed and she wept. Everything was catching up with her, from the day of the first meeting with the government to organize the Triple group, to the arguments with Military Organizer Katan, to the revelation of enhanced research down in the experimental bunker, to the exile of the tribe's people after the statement made about the prophecy. Then there was the deception of the resistance group and then the betrayal of the military as she informed the resistance of recent plans taken toward them. Then came the day she first met John Sheppard, the day the civil war broke out and the vicious creatures tried to extinguish the entire civilization on the planet, they still did actually. She had no idea of what was going on on the streets above, for all she knew everyone she held dear could have been killed.

Lani took a deep breath and took a moment to gather herself before she once again got up on her feet.

The junior doctor walked back into the room and shook his head. "I'm sorry but I couldn't find his friend anywhere. The Alpha outside the door told me she'd gone to help the others."

Lani nodded with a ghost of a smile. She'd realized from the first time she'd met Teyla that the Athosian was a strong woman, a woman of action yet diplomatic. She didn't seem to be the type of woman who'd like to sit idle. She'd gone to help the others even though her concern for Sheppard had been great.

The medical examiner nodded to her junior colleague. "There was nothing she could have done here. I just hope that she's successful wherever she is."

The doctor nodded and turned to the door. "I'll prepare for him to be taken to the main infirmary."

Lani nodded, watching him leave. She then turned to Sheppard and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you've fought long and hard on this planet but from what I can gather it's not the first time you've fought for your life," she said softly, remembering all the healed scars on his body. "Please hold on a little longer, John, that's all I ask."

OOOOOO

Rodney yelped as he stumbled on the uneven ground and went down hard on his knee. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a moment before he was gently helped to his feet by two of the young soldiers.

"It is not that far away now," Dadan said from behind.

"I wish we could contact the others," Rodney said hollowly. "I seriously hope, for his own sake, that Sheppard is still alive so that I can kill him myself."

"Teyla's with him," Ronon said.

"Why does he have to attract problems wherever he goes?" Rodney continued, ignoring Ronon's statement. "He's going to be the death of me one day."

Ronon smiled faintly as he pushed the scientist forward. "Move McKay, we haven't got the whole day."

Rodney grumbled and hastily glanced at the life signs detector still in hand, relieved when there was no one else in the vicinity.

Dadan, who was walking slightly ahead of them suddenly stopped at the end of the corridor, marked by a large double door.

Rodney went forward to sweep his hand over the door console and let out a deep sigh of relief as the door responded to his command. He walked into the room, not quite sure what to expect and came to a halt at the bottom of an ancient stair.

Rodney swallowed as he glanced up and saw the massive, rather impressive staircase, leading upwards several floors. The darkness in which it was hidden was replaced by a glowing light only to turn into a brightly lit room as the system sensed the presence of the ATA gene carrier.

The tribespeople stared amazed at the enormity of the large hall in which the staircase was situated.

"This is new," Rodney mumbled under his breath.

Ronon coughed as dust tickled his throat. "No one's been in here for ages," he grumbled and headed for the first flight only to be stopped by a faint force field. Surprised, the Satedan stepped back.

Rodney stared at it, temporarily dumbfounded by the security measures. "This is strange," he mused.

"You are not of the sky people?" Dadan asked curiously as he studied the Satedan.

"No he's not," Rodney returned succinctly.

"You are not from the same place?" Dadan inquired further.

"We're not from the same planet," Rodney let on but he didn't turn to face the old man. Instead he continued to look at the force field and try to work out how to turn it off.

"Turn it off, McKay," Ronon said gruffly, rubbing his hand from where it had connected with the force field.

"I would if I could," the scientist returned sarcastically. "It's raised to protect this section from within. I have no access to it from here. I can't reach the Lantean system from the chair room and certainly not from here. I am open to suggestions – although I doubt you have any."

OOOOOO

Teyla stumbled but she didn't fall. She watch up in the ominous sky, filled with storm clouds, and then ahead of her. Everywhere she looked lay dead people, broken toys, broken mobile merchants' tents and burning vehicles. She clipped her last magazine in place and tightened her grip around the P90. She sensed them as she walked carefully down the lane, she felt the presence of the Wraith. There was an eerie silence settling over the mourning city, oppressing everything else.

The Athosian didn't hesitate as the Wraith came around the street corner toward her, she let lose the weapon, her face a mask of determination. Several Alpha members suddenly joined her from behind, helping her.

The leading lieutenant smiled at her as she lowered her weapon and nodded at them. "Military Defense Officer Rodin thought you could use a hand ma'am," he said politely yet with awe in his voice at her fighting spirit.

Teyla smiled sadly as she thought of Sha and Rackie. "How are they?" she enquired carefully.

"Tough," was the instant answer. "And we are no softies either ma'am. We've encountered several of the beings while trying to find you. Control has managed to reroute communications but it's not a hundred percent. We made contact with Hospital Section One, help is on the way to control. Now, our immediate problem is to get rid of those creeps still riddling our streets. We estimate there will be at least fifty of those creatures in our vicinity."

They all jumped as the Network was turned on and every screen that had survived the fighting and bombardment came to life. A familiar face turned his cold grey eyes upon them and, when he spoke it was with directness and brutal honesty.

Meren Kal sat ramrod straight on the chair back in the media building, everywhere around him was burned circuitry and the smell of burned flesh but he was oblivious to it after so many hours in the room.

 _"It is time,"_ he began seriously. _"It is time that we start to tell each other the truth. And the truth is, as you have seen, that we're not alone. The Inner Circle has been aware of activity among the stars for quite some time but of fear we have not pursued to investigate further. Maybe then we would have been able to prevent much of what has happened here today and avoided all the lies over the past years – for generations even."_

 _"For over two years the government has sanctioned the building of a prototype ship based on blueprints found in the city down below. A city that we now know is named Askula. The government has been concerned about the activity among the stars for a long time but has lacked the means of further investigation. Man has longed for space a long time but the means have not been present."_

 _"We are all aware of the power problems that we currently have and that problem will not be easily solved," he continued cryptically. "Within every statement I make lies a deeper truth, ones that I cannot go into here. Sufficient to say is that we will all stand united for the sake of our planet, our city and our ancestors. What we have witnessed here today is a repeat performance of something that happened here a very long time ago. A battle named in a prophecy, a battle where some of the sky people stayed behind to save our ancestors from extinction. It is all true, we are their heritage and we shall all be proud of that. It is over now and we have won, all of us have won even though no one might feel like a winner."_

OOOOOO

Several blocks from where Teyla stood, Sha struggled to get off the examination bed and gingerly reached for his shirt. The broadcast had been displayed all over the city and he couldn't agree more with the man; no one felt like a winner. As far as he was concerned they still hadn't reached their goal.

His rippled stomach muscles was hidden mostly by bandages, sore and bruised. His left shoulder had been pulled back in place and was now a colorful area in various purple nuances. His left temple had been cleaned from the caked blood and the wound had been sealed with spray plastic. The rest of the various small cuts and bruises were superficial and only added to his haggard appearance. Anyone who saw him would take him for dead on his feet unless they saw the determined spark in his eyes. Sha had constantly bullied the poor nurses checking up on him about Rackie's condition and had let out a deep sigh of relief when it was reported to him that the young engineer would make a full recovery, although he was suffering from a broken leg and a rather severe concussion.

Being a high ranking military officer had its perks and for the last half hour Sha had been staring at the digital pad, which he'd demanded they give him, displaying the Lantean city map. Three of the large spires had been left as monuments of what had once been but, as far as he knew, no one had ever entered any of them. Many had tried but they seemed impenetrable, also after the incidents with the plague and other strange occurrences affecting members of the survey teams sent to the old city many had begun to fear the place. Now they knew better.

Teyla and her colleagues spoke of the city as a bright and beautiful place, as did Dadan and his people, although they also spoke of the magic city with all its infinite powers. Sha had chosen to believe in the prophecy a long time ago and it was with greater understanding to everything that had been going on so long ago that he was now trying to make sense of the marvellous place. Despite the fact that he couldn't read the language he considered it, weighted tactics and reasoned with himself about the plan. He prided himself on having a fair grasp of things as he reached for the communications box that one of his lieutenants had left for him next to the clean shirt.

"Team Alpha One, please come in," he said into the microphone on the side of the gadget.

There was a burst of static over the link before the team leader acknowledged him.

 _"Military Defense Officer, sir,"_ came the serious voice.

"Lieutenant. Have you caught up with Teyla?" Sha asked.

 _"Yes, sir,"_ he returned.

Not waiting for a reply Sha spoke directly to the Athosian. "Teyla, I think you should have your friends look at the larger spire at the outskirt of this city," he said. "I can't read the language and there's no means for translating it here but something, I don't know why, I can't explain it, tells me there is a chance to find your gate there."

 _"I read you, Sha,"_ Teyla returned softly, when she spoke again a tinge of concern had seeped into her voice. _"Are you well?"_

"Don't you worry about me, Teyla," he said lightly. "There are far better things to grow concerned about. Is there any way to contact Doctor McKay or Ronon?"

 _"I tried using my radio before but was met by static only,"_ she said regrettably.

Sha nodded despite knowing she couldn't see it. "Leave the Wraith to my Alpha teams, Teyla and meet me…" he trailed off then addressed the lieutenant. "Where's your present location?"

 _"Two blocks south of Hospital Section One, sir,"_ came the reply then the voice hastily added. _"No offense, sir, but should you leave the hospital?"_

"Just deal with the Wraith, Lieutenant," Sha returned, rather annoyed, as he carefully shrugged into his fresh shirt. "Teyla, meet me in the lobby."

 _"I'll be there shortly,"_ she acknowledged.

"And just where do you think you're going, sir?" A young nurse asked as she came into the room.

"Out," he said rather sternly as he collected the gadgets he needed and took a step toward her and the door.

"I…"she began as she tried to block his way. "I can't let you out, sir."

"Get out of my way, please, nurse and let me help those who need it. I'm sure you have wounded to take care of," he reasoned, his blue eyes boring into her soul.

She wasn't used to dealing with higher officers, lower grades she could handle. Therefore she hesitated as he walked toward her, his full height towering at her. He was one of the highest ranking military officers, who was she to stop him if he really needed to go? Surely the doctor had cleared him? Maybe she was just misinformed in the chaos surrounding her. Still uncertain, the nurse moved aside to let the officer pass.

OOOOOO

 _To be continued_


	20. The One That Got Away

**Chapter Twenty – The One That Got Away**

Military Organizer Katan dazedly turned the guard on his back and swallowed as unseeing eyes stared upon him. The man was dead; killed in the destruction of the building. There was an eerie silence settling over the deserted hallway outside the detention cells and lab areas. The light was out, only the faint remaining daylight filtered in from above through cracks in the walls. His worst fears had come true. There had been an alien invasion, and the city lay in ruins, the people had been casualties of war; all of it for nothing.

All of it because the government chose to ignore the warnings given to them. Because they had chosen to be an open, trustful and diplomatic society that had turned into prejudice, distrust and bribes among the ranks. Because the resistance had recruited the leader of the Inner Circle, Meren Kal, because the media served to spread the propaganda Amni Lak had been convinced was the truth. Because he, Katan, hadn't been strong enough to run his department properly, because the tribespeople had been allowed to spread their words about the upcoming destruction. Everyone had betrayed him, even his SIC who, to top it all off, had been a Triple working for the government.

However, what gave him the most grief at the moment was his utter failure of taking the life of the alien, John Sheppard, the man who'd escalated everything and turned it into a full civil war.

Jaha Katan seethed in his own fury as he walked through the destruction looking for a gun, something to protect himself with. He walked straight into an adjoining laboratory and test room, the wall having been obliterated by one of the blasts from the Hive. There, on the bench, lay the gun John Sheppard, correction, Colonel John Sheppard had carried with him. It had been assembled by the lab technician who now lay dead at Katan's feet. He carefully took it into his hands, the battered weapon feeling surprisingly good to hold.

A menacing smile crept upon his lips as he turned on the flashlight and strode away from the room, weapon in hand. It didn't matter to Katan that everything pointed in Sheppard's favor, that he and his people had actually aided the people on the planet. Sheppard had led to his personal downfall to a place he could never rise from; he'd fallen down the abyss and he was adamant that the colonel went with him no matter what. The military organizer was beyond reason, the latest events having tipped him over an edge from which there was no return.

Katan carefully walked down the familiar hallways of the experimental bunker and down to the door which would take him to the ruined, ancient city. He found, to his disappointment, that the connection between Askula and the experimental bunker had been severed during the last attack and sullenly turned back, heading for the above ground exit from the experimental bunker. With his uniform torn and dirty, with blood streaking his face and arms, with madness in his eyes and a tight grip around the gun, he moved slowly but methodically down the hallway and up the damaged staircase, intent on finding his target. Nothing would stand in his way.

OOOOOO

"Sha!" Teyla hollered as she spotted him across the street.

The military defense officer whipped his head around and flashed a smile as he saw her. The Athosian woman looked like she'd been resurrected from a horror movie, with dried blood on her face, dirty and dusty clothes and a slight limp when walking.

They met halfway across the street, the small woman reached out her hand to gently touch the arm of the military man.

"I'm pleased to see that you're doing better," Teyla said politely with a smile.

"I regret that you've been caught up in all this," Sha replied solemnly. "Do you need to sit down? Maybe we should have you looked at?"

Teyla shook her head. "I'm fine. Would you believe me if I said I've had worse?" she asked, her voice light.

He nodded then turned serious. "Look I've had plenty of time to brood, put two and two together and try to be useful," he said and waved the pad in his hand. "I've downloaded the blueprints of Askula. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there' a chance that the gate is in the large spire in the outskirts of this city."

Teyla frowned as she took the pad and studied the screen intently for a while. "This is where the cities differ from one another," she said cautiously, not wanting to raise any false hope. "Like you said before the Hive tried to blast us out of existence, the control room and gate would have been situated in the middle of the city."

Sha nodded. "That was when I believed that Askula and this city were exactly on top of each other," he explained with a tight smile. "Take another look, Teyla. That large still remaining spire is in the middle of the ancient city."

Her relief was visible as she nodded. "Then it is there we must go," she said and began to move toward the entrance to Askula via the market street.

Sha temporarily stopped her by placing his hand on her arm. "They're still fighting down there," he said gravely. "I think I know a better way."

OOOOOO

Rodney chuckled in frustration as he stared at the blue shimmer in front of them. "It's some kind of failsafe. It must have been triggered before they left," he mused.

"You spoke of an even higher tower?" Ronon addressed his question directly to Dadan.

The older man bowed slightly and then nodded. "It is not that far away," he said.

"That's what you said about this," Rodney said angrily. "Every second counts."

"You're stuck, McKay," Ronon returned, his own patience slipping.

In resignation the scientist shook his head slightly before reaching for the life signs detector in his pocket.

They began to walk again and got surprisingly far without being hindered by debris or structural collapse. Rodney suddenly tensed as several dots began to appear on the screen before him. He silently urged caution as they neared several junctions but the tribe soldiers were young and inexperienced with military hand signals.

Chaos erupted a minute later as one of the tribe soldiers was struck down by a projectile weapon. People came pouring out from a sideway, all dressed in black with weapons raised – Alpha renegades.

Rodney hastily raised his hands above his head and sensed Ronon's presence nearby. "Look, we don't want to fight," he began and was met by a warning shot next to his ear.

"Surrender yourself to the military authority immediately," the leader of the large group demanded.

"No," Rodney whispered, not in defiance or surrender, but in utter disbelief and surprise.

"What are the savages doing down here?" another Alpha demanded. "Has Amni recruited them as well?"

"He's dead, you idiot!" Rodney suddenly became angry; he didn't have time for this interference. "In case you hadn't noticed there have been evil green men roaming the planet! I don't care about the resistance…"

"Silence! Katan will hear about this," the soldier returned sternly.

"How long have you been out of communication?" Ronon finally spoke up, his voice harsh. "Katan is no longer your leader."

The black clad man was about to reply when a small green dot appeared on his chest. Rodney and Ronon immediately ducked into an adjoining corridor.

Several men belonging to the resistance came up from behind, causing the team consisting of the tribe's people and Ronon and Rodney to be caught in the middle.

"Dadan!" Rodney hollered as he grabbed the wise old man from behind. "Get your soldiers out of gunpoint. We have to get out of here!"

Dadan looked uncertain as he called on his young men, hesitating at the sight of several injured lying on the ground before him.

"There's no time," Ronon said gruffly as he took the lead with Rodney not far behind.

"Faster!" Rodney shouted over the staccato of gunfire as the wall next to him was peppered by a volley of shots. He practically pushed the Satedan before him while keeping an eye on the life signs detector.

Like cowards they ran, as fast as they could, over the rocky and uneven ground littered by debris. Ronon's jaw was set like stone as he stopped to let the rest of them pass him, intent on bringing up their rear and taking out those who was insistent on following them.

Even though Dadan's young soldiers where many, they lacked the necessary equipment to handle a gunfight and it only fuelled Ronon's anger at the rest of the people – military and resistance forces, that they would fire on practically helpless people.

Up front, Rodney ran faster than he even thought possible. He ran straight up to a large double door dividing the corridor sections, and rapidly swiped his hand over the console, silently praying it would open.

Within the next minute everyone had made it past the door, Ronon bringing up the rear, firing a volley of shots at the following party.

Rodney bent over, hands on his knees, breathing rapidly and let out a deep sigh of relief only to stiffen again as he felt himself being watched from the shadows further down the corridor. Hastily, he glanced at the life signs detector and the dots filling the screen.

He felt the hairs rise at the back of his neck as he stared down the lane into the darkness.

OOOOOO

"Lani," a weak voice whispered hoarsely.

The medical examiner slowly opened her eyes and carefully dried her tears where she sat next to John Sheppard's bedside.

Teldan Tori watched her from opposite the large room with a confused look on his face. With an effort she managed to smile at him as she rose and made her way over to him.

"You'll be all right, Teldan," she said, her voice soft.

He took in her haggard appearance, the blood on her face, the darkness in her eyes and the slumped shoulders. "What's been happening? Why am I down here?" he asked hollowly.

Lani swallowed and started to chuckle ironically. "Everything has changed, Teldan, nothing will be as it once where," she replied cryptically.

"Amni…"he began weakly.

"He's dead," Lani said shortly. "He's dead," she echoed.

Her colleague stared at her, uncomprehending.

"He was shot by the Alpha teams down here. They still fight; I've heard them a few times. Despite everything else some of them will not give up and let the cause rest. They fight for nothing, Teldan, there is nothing left to fight for."

Medical Examiner Tori nodded and then glanced over her shoulder and over to John Sheppard's bed. "Why is he in such a mess? And who is he really? I wish I understood," he whispered.

Lani gave a short laugh without mirth and followed his gaze. "Colonel John Sheppard, Military Commander of the Atlantis Expedition. All he wanted was to get back home before Katan's men brought him to the hospital, before you helped Amni Lak to kidnap him right in front of me."

"What?" her colleague asked, clearly confused.

"He's a descendant of the sky people, Teldan, that's why he was able to turn those gadgets on. It's not magic, it's genetics. Those things; they are coded."

The wounded ME fought to keep his eyes open. "What happened to him?" he asked.

"Katan happened," she returned darkly. "He tried to kill Sheppard but I managed to keep him alive, even though it's no more than that. If help does not arrive soon, he will eventually die and there's nothing I can do to prevent it."

"He must be proud of himself," Teldan whispered, thinking of Katan.

"No, Katan is in detention. The Triple group has come forward. So much has changed," Lani said softly.

Tori's eyes fluttered open. "I always suspected you were…one of them," he admitted. "Who else?"

"Sha and Rackie, Nani, Rie," Lani said, her eyes clouding as she whispered the last two names. "There is a raging war above us, as per your question, that's why we're still here. Those creatures, those Dadan came to warn us about, they came. They slaughtered our civilization, they murdered the innocent; they feed on us. I hope they all die a horrible death," Lani said, upset, as another tear sprung from her eye.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you to all who's following, reading and reviewing! I value you all so much ;)_


	21. Reestablishment

**Chapter Twenty One – Reestablishment**

"Rodney, Ronon," Teyla said with a faint smile on her lips, glad to see her team mates again, as she stepped out of the semi-darkness.

"Are you out of your mind!?" McKay shouted back at her as the lights turned on to further reveal her and Sha, together with several Alphas. "You could've given me a heart attack!"

Ronon shook his head and walked up to his newly arrived team member. "He's been like this all the way," he said, nodding toward Rodney.

The scientist didn't even hear Ronon's remark, too confused as to how Teyla could suddenly appear right in front of him.

"How…how did you get here?" he finally managed, looking intently at Teyla.

"The city map and then a few shortcuts among the blocks above us," Sha explained to Rodney, before turning his focus on Ronon. "I take it you've had the misfortune of finding one of the still fighting fractions?"

Ronon nodded grimly. "I think I got a few of them. Their war hasn't ended," he stated.

Sha nodded slowly in understanding, then gave a curt nod at the Alpha teams that had followed him and Teyla. "I trust you'll take care of it," he said in a commanding voice.

One of the team leaders walked forward to stand opposite his commander. "Find your Stargate, sir, we'll see to it that the fighting stops, one way or another," the man said confidently.

Dadan watched sadly as the black clad men filed out of the corridor section, went through the door, and into the heat of the firefight. He looked at the blond man in the high ranking military uniform; a determined and good-looking man with a will seemingly of steel. Dadan scrutinized him for a moment, then his eyes lit up with hope. The old man considered himself to be a good judge of character and he liked what he saw.

"I am Dadan," he introduced himself. "We have come to aid the descendants of the sky people."

"Military Defense Officer Sha Rodin," the blond man said by way of greeting, his smile one of certainty, then added, "I know who you are, sir."

Rodney snapped his fingers impatiently. "Now that we're all properly introduced we need to find the gate," he said.

"We're heading for the central spire," Teyla said, amused by the look of surprise on Rodney's face as she said it.

"It's gone," he mumbled.

"No, look," Teyla said stubbornly, reassuringly, as she placed the pad in his hands, displaying the plan of the magnificent city. "We always assumed they're directly above each other but they're not."

Rodney nodded thoughtfully. "It makes sense, the central spire would have been protected by the shield, that's the last place that goes unprotected," he said, then a cautious smile spread on his lips. "What are we waiting for then?"

They walked in silence, although the mood wasn't so somber and tense anymore. The tribe soldiers cleared the way while Rodney kept looking at the life signs detector, Teyla walking ahead with the map in front of her. Sha was coordinating things with his closest Alpha teams over the radio link, those that he left behind, while Ronon was bringing up the rear. After another fifteen minutes they arrived at what would be the main staircase in Atlantis. Like the smaller staircase which Rodney and Ronon had encountered before, it was protected by a force field.

"I don't understand," Rodney said dejectedly as he pocketed the life signs detector. "Why won't it let us pass?"

"Perhaps…," Dadan began, but was cut short by a snarl from the shadows behind them.

"Move!" Teyla shouted urgently as she and Ronon made their way toward the sound.

They came pouring into the hallway, the vicious creatures known as the Wraith. They had been hiding there, waiting for their prey.

Rodney, somewhat in shock, fumbled with the P90 clipped to his TAC vest while his team mates let loose a burst of shots at the oncoming soldiers and pushed most of the tribespeople away from harm.

Wasting no time in wonder, Sha copied the movements of his allies, his aim never wavering as he quickly took down several of the Wraith.

Ronon watched in annoyance as the glow of the power cell in his weapon slowly faded. "Never, put that detector down, McKay!" he admonished over the noise, angry that his team mate hadn't been looking at the life signs readings.

Teyla ignored them bickering, worried about Dadan, showing him behind her as she clipped a fresh magazine into the weapon.

"All the hatred," Dadan said regretfully behind her.

"They will be stopped," Teyla whispered coldly as she aimed and fired.

It became an automatic unfeeling motion; aiming, firing and killing. No one said anything, no one could hear anything over the constant staccato of P90 fire.

Rodney shakily retrieved the life signs detector and sighed, the last Wraith blip extinguished as he stared at it. "That's the last of them," he let out.

"What are they?" Dadan whispered in disbelief.

"They are monsters," Teyla said sadly. "They are monsters."

Silence settled over the party as they stood there, shaken by what had just happened. Then, suddenly Rodney snapped his fingers, his face still pale but the spark in his eyes where back.

"Can you all go away?" he said bluntly.

"Why?" Ronon asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Just down the corridor," Rodney added. "I want to try something."

Teyla nodded at him and gently hooked an arm with Dadan, leading him away, the tribe silently following. Sha and Ronon shared a look, then the military man shrugged and they too headed after the others.

Rodney watched them trail further away in the long section of the corridor and inhaled slowly, deeply before walking up to stand next to the force field once again, as he had before the Wraith emerged.

He reached out with his hand and smiled as the field let his hand pass. "Only the Ancients," he mused with an upward curl to his lips. Rodney took a few cautious steps up the staircase before turning on his radio with a light touch of the earpiece. "You can come back now," he said.

The others had no trouble following Rodney as they came back and after what felt like a life time, they'd climbed the ten floors up to the control room. The brilliant staircase was now bathed in light as the ATA gene had been sensed by the system.

Teyla gently steadied Dadan as they appeared before the beautifully decorated, heavily reinforced double door. Deeply touched at her offer of support he smiled wearily at her.

"Moment of truth," Rodney mumbled beneath his breath as he swiped his hand over the console. The sliding door gracefully parted before them, revealing a room that had not been visited for thousands of years and there in front of them all, stood the Stargate.

Rodney felt his legs buckle beneath him as relief surged through his body. Teyla gently walked over and supported him, then gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Dadan and Sha shared a look, both smiling. The old man gently offered the younger man support as he swayed on his feet, his injuries becoming known to him again in terms of pain and ache. "You should perhaps have listened to the doctors, I believe they told you not to come here, did they not?" Dadan cautioned with a slight warning tone seeing the tension in the younger man's body, the way he held himself.

Sha pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure but refrained from answering, his weakened body speaking for itself.

Rodney didn't waste any time exploring, he knew exactly where to look. Several of the control stations had been covered with thin blankets. Some of them had taken serious damage during the battle Askula had been engaged in but mostly the room was intact – more importantly the gate was intact.

 _"MDO Rodin, sir,"_ came a hollow voice over the link through the heavy static.

Sha reached for his communications gadget. "Yes," he said shortly.

 _"Sir, I regret to inform you that MO Katan has disappeared from detention,"_ the lower officer reported.

Sha tensed at the words spoken, the hair at the back of his neck rising. "Say again," he replied cautiously, hoping he'd heard wrong.

 _"Military Organizer Katan was not among the dead or injured down in the experimental bunker, sir. It is therefore safe to assume he's trying to flee the city."_

"I see," Sha said in resignation. "Your top priority is to make sure no Wraith remains and to protect our people but should you see Katan, your hands are free. Please relay that to the rest."

Standing not too far away from Sha Ronon was angrily flexing his hands, turning them into fists.

The room came to life slowly as Rodney stepped further into it. Lights turned on obediently and as it did, Teyla swallowed, seeing a skeleton lying next to the large arched window behind the gate. A large part of the wall next to it was gone, the integrity of the room was held together by a force field; had been for all those years.

"Seems they didn't all leave," Ronon said grimly as he followed her gaze.

"Remember the older version of Elizabeth?" Rodney asked carefully, a solemn look on his face. "She maned the place, waiting for us to come all those years."

"What a horrible way to die," Ronon said. "Loneliness."

"We don't know if that's what happened," Teyla reasoned before turning her full attention to John's equal. "Sha, can you reach Lani? I've been afraid to ask, afraid to hear the answer, but I must know if John is still alive."

Sha swallowed the dryness in his mouth as he saw those large soft eyes filled with worry. Rodney had stopped messing around with the equipment and Ronon had turned to stare at him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Our communication system is not working very well down in Askula, as you might have noticed," Sha said with a sarcastic edge. Nevertheless he reached for his communications device, adjusting the frequency.

"Team Alpha two, this MDO Rodin, come in please," he said.

There was nothing, only static and Sha shook his head sadly before trying a different approach, calculating in his mind which team would be closest.

"Team Alpha nine, come in please," he said carefully.

Again there was static, then suddenly the static was replaced by garbled words, further increasing the tension mixed with hope and fear in the gate room.

"Say again, Team Alpha nine?" Sha demanded.

It never got any better and with a sigh the native military officer shook his head. "I'll give it one last try," he let on an adjusted the frequency. "Team Alpha six, if you can hear this, reply at once."

 _"Th…team…Alpha…receiving,"_ came the instant reply.

Teyla found herself smiling as she imagined the lieutenant they'd only just left behind to fight, before her.

 _"Read you sir, it's been one…of…convince…taking…custody,"_ the team leader reported.

"That's good news, Lieutenant," Sha returned, reading between the lines. "I need you to get back to the infirmary section down there and see to it that Medical Examiner Nadim and her people are well. More importantly, I need information about Colonel Sheppard. Is that clear?"

 _"Garbled…junk…respect, sir,"_ began the reply and Sha found himself smiling as the lieutenant was referring to their communications system.

 _"Infirmary, Sheppard, Nadim, got it, sir. We'll get back to you as soon as we've handed over this bunch of happy campers to one of the other teams."_

Sha nodded as the connection was severed and turned to the awaiting Athosian. "That's all I can do I am afraid, Teyla," he softly, his voice tinged with regret.

She walked over and placed a comforting hand on his sleeve, her nose crinkling slightly as her lips curled upwards in a faint smile. "I cannot have asked for more, Sha, thank you."

Rodney stared at the Stargate ahead of him and then took in his surroundings, not able to get rid of the feeling of déjà vu that crept up on him. For a moment he found himself wondering what would have happened should they have found Askula first instead of Atlantis but then he shrugged and turned back to the controls.

Dadan gently retrieved the zero point module from the worn leather satchel that one of his young soldiers had carried with him from the chair room, and walked up to the scientist. "You will need this, will you not?" he asked.

Rodney nodded absentmindedly, as he stared at figures Dadan had no idea how to interpret.

Ronon joined them and took the zero point module from the old man, only to place it next to the main frame. "Hot wiring the Stargate, McKay?" he asked slyly.

"More like the whole system," Rodney returned sarcastically as he scratched the back of his head and made a grimace.

The old and wise man stood back to give the others room to work, unconsciously he gripped the ancient locket around his neck as he took in the amazing surroundings. He watched as some of the young warriors sat down on their knees in astonishment while others walked around the room, gently touching things as if touch alone could bring them back in time, to the battle that took place so many years ago.

Dadan understood now, understood more than he'd ever done before the meaning of the pictograms, the true capacity of the sky people. He saw the painted picture of the Ring of the Old Ones before him in his mind and he saw the people standing before it, saw the next picture – the one with the blue flash. It was not a place of sacrificing, it was a portal; all this time he'd misinterpreted the meaning of the ring and the magic behind it.

In amazement Dadan found himself mulling about what else the tribe had misinterpreted as the large screens behind the controls came online.

Rodney put a hand before his mouth as he called up the damage control system and then shook his head sadly. "So much destroyed," he mumbled under his breath, then remembered the hologram of the woman declaring Askula lost and beyond repair. "She wasn't kidding," he added.

He shuddered involuntarily, imagining the horrors of the past. He shrugged, forced himself to snap out of it and shook his head again as he gently activated the Stargate system. Behind him he could hear a faint whoosh and, as he turned to look over his shoulder, he saw all the symbols of the Stargate blink before going inert again.

Next he called up the life signs system, causing Sha to stroll over out of curiosity. "So you can see all of them?" he asked carefully as he glanced at the screen displaying all the various dots scattered across the city.

"There are most likely glitches in this, considering the damages done to this city," Rodney returned gravely.

"Rodney," Teyla began, her eyes asking what she couldn't bring herself to say.

The scientist swallowed, then nodded as his fingers flew over the consoles to zoom in on the infirmary section. "Like I said, we may not get an accurate reading," he cautioned.

They waited in apprehension as the life signs appeared before them.

"One junior doctor, one nurse, Lani, the other Medical Examiner and John," Teyla said as she counted the life signs displayed.

"There are Alphas," Sha said almost regretfully, not wanting to spoil any hopes.

"How many?" Ronon asked.

"At least one outside the door and, if team six has arrived, another five," Sha recounted.

Then Teyla broke into a grin, allowing herself to let out a deep breath. "Then I think he's still with us," she said, her voice barely higher than a whisper.

"There are distinguishable life signs…" Sha trailed off, already having a fair idea what it meant.

"They are Wraith," Ronon snarled angrily.

"In that case, I'd say we have a problem," Rodney gulped as several sections displayed a massive amount of Wraith life signs.

They all turned as there was a yelp coming from one of the young soldiers who'd been standing next to the Stargate. At the same time several symbols lit up at the control station, indicating that the Stargate had recalibrated itself and connected to rest of the gate network.

"Dial, McKay," Ronon urged in a low voice as he studied the massive dotting on the screen. "We're going to need all the help we can get."

Rodney turned to look at him, his eyes steely, his jaw set before averting his attention to the controls, his hands hitting the familiar buttons. "Dialing Atlantis," he said.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Once again thank you. Things are looking better for our heroes ;) or do they?_


	22. Home and Away

**Chapter Twenty Two – Home and Away**

"Carson?" he mumbled faintly, almost too low for Lani to pick it up as she stood next to him, checking his vitals.

"John?" she said jovially yet with a tinge of concern in her voice. "Can you hear me?"

The man before her slowly blinked dull and confused eyes open. His hair was matted against his clammy skin and his face was covered by a fine sheen of perspiration. He looked like a wax figure, like the mask of death had settled upon him gently leaching the life out of him.

John Sheppard glanced curiously at Lani and then at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. A faint groan of exasperation mixed with pain escaped his lips. "I thought I dreamt I was still here," he whispered as he turned to focus on the ME. "But this is real isn't it?"

Lani smiled at him. "Yes, Colonel Sheppard, this is real. I'm glad you're still with us," she replied.

Then it all came flooded back to him, washing over him, and he struggled to reach a sitting position only to gasp as the newly sutured incisions were stretched to their limits.

"Please, John, you must lie still," the medical examiner cautioned, her hands on his shoulders, trying to pin him in the bed. "I cannot help you if you try anything foolish."

There was a worry, a deep concern in her voice that he didn't like and then he remembered the words spoken by both Carson and Teer. His condition had been grave; he had been standing on the brink, his friends having pulled him back. John involuntarily shuddered and it was not due to the fever ravaging his weakened body; it was caused by the mere thought of looking death in the eye.

Then something wicked crossed his mind and he started to chuckle faintly before it turned into a laugh without mirth. It was surprise and satisfaction mixing as he realized, really realized, that he was still alive.

Lani stared worriedly at her patient, who seemed on the brink of hysteria.

"He didn't kill me," John whispered. Then he sobered, hazel eyes turned questioningly on the doctor.

"No," Lani whispered hollowly. "Not yet," she added under her breath.

Sheppard swallowed, his mouth dry. "My team?" He asked, afraid of the answer he might be given.

"I don't know," Lani replied truthfully. "We're out of communication range down here."

"I don't care about myself…Lani…I just need to know that my friends are all right," he managed through clenched teeth.

The ME cast a worried glance at his stats, a forced smile on her lips. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard a commotion just outside the room. Lani turned around just in time for the Alpha standing guard to be tossed into the infirmary like a ragdoll by the Wraith soldier, his life drained.

She involuntarily whimpered as they came pouring in, there was no stopping them. Lani reached for a weapon that one of the Alphas had left with her and fumbled with the power cell to load it.

"Leave, Lani," John whispered. "Leave me before it's too late."

As if to strengthen his statement, one of the soldiers grabbed the wounded Medical Examiner and slammed its hand onto his chest. Teldan Tori's life was ended within a minute, his scream and unseeing eye sockets would forever haunt Lani in her dreams.

She pulled the trigger of the weapon in desperation as the soldiers started to advance on her and John's position. The first one staggered and fell, the next one stumbled. Lani then watched in morbid fascination as they got up again, her bullets having created rivulets of blood. "What are you?!" She shouted, her voice quivering.

"They're monsters, Lani," John whispered, deadly calm despite the situation. "They're monsters."

Then their ears picked up another sound, coming from the outside. Sheppard suddenly cracked a smile as the sound of P90 fire echoed through the hallways.

The moment later a shorter, well-built man with brown hair strode into the room, his weapon raised. The remaining Wraith's snarled at his presence but never got the chance to advance or even fire off a single shot at the man and his cohorts.

"Damn, Lorne," Sheppard said, his voice tinged with relief and tiredness. "What took you so long? I've been stuck on this rock for days."

Evan shook his head slightly and then his lips curved upwards in smugness. "I see you've made yourself comfortable, sir," he drawled.

"Carson said I should trust you," Sheppard mumbled, having a hard time to keep his eyes open.

Evan frowned slightly but didn't ask what he meant, instead he turned to the good looking woman at his side. "Major Evan Lorne," he said by way of greeting.

"Medical Examiner Lani Nadim," she returned, still shaken up by the previous events. "You must get him out of here. I can't save him. You must hurry, he will been going into shock soon enough. He's still got internal bleeding, I couldn't repair everything and I have no blood to give him, he's lost too much already."

As soon as she'd spoken another team rushed into the room - Alpha Team Six. Lorne and the leading lieutenant eyed each other warily, then nodded in mutual understanding that they were on the same side.

Lorne keyed his radio. "Bring Doctor Keller here immediately, we've found Sheppard," he said sternly into the microphone.

 _"Understood, sir,"_ came the immediate reply.

Evan nodded, more to himself than anyone else, before he spoke up again. "Doctor McKay, come in please," he said over the open link.

A crackle followed, indicating there was a connection. "We've secured the immediate area around the infirmary and are taking Colonel Sheppard with us back to the jumper. Captain Gaspari is on his way with another jumper. Seeing how fun you have with all the fighting parties down here I'll assign another bunch of happy marines."

 _"You do that,"_ Rodney returned. _"I'd like you to come up here and stay here, not just fly past into the jumper bay, and out through the roof to land on the market street to go fetch our illustrious military commander,"_ he said, the last bit delivered as a sarcastic remark.

 _"Several Wraith soldiers are on their way here, Major,"_ Teyla's voice cut in.

Lorne nodded grimly at Teyla's statement, and for a brief amount of time he and Lani's eyes locked, then the major cast one worried glance toward the colonel before he turned to go.

"Understood, Teyla," he said. "Help's on the way. I'll arrive later, I'll see to it that Colonel Sheppard is safely returned to Atlantis." With that he ended the call and stepped to the side of the door.

Lani glanced curiously at the entrance to the now cramped infirmary as yet another team came through the door with a young, somewhat pensive woman.

The petite blonde woman, whom Lani guessed was Doctor Keller, looked uncertain and afraid as she cautiously glanced around the room. Then, when her eyes settled on the injured colonel, the hesitancy seemed to leave her and she became one with her profession.

"Colonel Sheppard," she said, her voice tight, as she hastily scrambled over with a medical bag swung over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. "I'm Jennifer Keller, Chief Medical Officer on Atlantis. Can you please tell me what's happened?"

Lani offered her hand and nodded curtly, acutely aware how she must look at the moment, dead on her feet, blood on her clothes and on her cheeks, the bun holding her hair having gone sideways giving her usual silky and long hair a somewhat messy and unruly appearance.

"Medical Examiner Lani Nadim, Chief of Life Science, Section One," she said, offering a strained smile before becoming deadly serious. "So much as happened, Doctor Keller, too much. Right now Colonel Sheppard is going to die unless you find a way to get him out of here."

Jennifer involuntarily shuddered at the harsh words. The woman before her was direct and spot on, clearly a well-trained physician.

"He's been shot, multiple times, I've repaired what I can with the limited resources I have down here. There was no safe way for us to get him back to the hospital above. Also, I have no blood I dare to give him, I will not take the chance since we're not from the same planet," Lani explained. She then added dejectedly; "After what he's been through; after what everyone's been through down, here I refuse to be the one to kill him through my actions."

Keller's eyes locked with the other woman and she saw in them only deep concern for her friend. Jennifer nodded slowly as she averted her eyes and began a visual, basic examination, taking Lani's word for what had happened. Still, she was eager to know the whole story.

"Major Lorne," Keller called over her shoulder.

He nodded, his jaw set in stone and his lips pursed into a thin line of displeasure as he came to the doctor's side.

"Evan, I need help, quickly, or the Colonel won't make it much longer." Jennifer's tone was commanding, but there was a hollowness to it that left Lani to wondering what had happened previously on Atlantis. It was almost like the young doctor before her was afraid of something.

Within mere seconds the efficient members of Lorne's team had got the colonel onto an ancient stretcher and were in the process of whisking him away from the infirmary and toward the jumper.

"Ma'am, thank you for saving my commanding officer, if only temporarily," Lorne said politely with a faint smile. "Will you and your colleagues down here be able to cope on your own?"

"I'm not leaving Colonel Sheppard's side," Lani returned stubbornly.

Evan looked at Keller helplessly.

"I'm grateful for the help," Jennifer let on with a shrug of her shoulders.

The major nodded. "Well then, ME Nadim, I hope you'll have a pleasant stay in Atlantis," he said.

OOOOOO

Sha scratched the back of his head in pure frustration as he stood at the large screen in the control room. Several life signs just disappeared, the fighting still going on between the two factions despite the best attempts to stave off the dispute. Communications were still bad down in the Ancient city, but with the help of Doctor McKay he'd got a boosted signal so that he could read almost every Alpha Team. They were slowly gaining ground but it was not good enough. Also the Wraith were still too many for his liking and he didn't have the man power to fight the resistance, renegade Alphas, and the Wraith. Besides, he was constantly getting reports from the surface about things to do and things to coordinate.

A small, gentle hand was suddenly on his shoulder and he turned, somewhat surprised, to look at the Athosian woman. "Sit down, Sha, before you fall down," she said softly.

"Why are you still here, Teyla?" he asked neutrally. "Still fighting the fight that isn't yours?"

"I choose my battles," she returned curtly as the native military man gingerly sat down behind one of the control consoles. "I will return to Atlantis as soon as Major Lorne brings John in the jumper. But I will be back."

They nodded at each other, both wearing faint smiles on their rather dirty, dusty and battered faces. In a way they were two of the same coin. In a strange way they had comforted each other, trusted each other over the few days they'd known each other, like they were old friends. And Teyla knew that Sha's concern for Lani and the dangers she faced was as great as her own concern for John and the dangers he was constantly facing.

Their shared moment was broken as the Stargate dialled.

"Lorne?" Teyla asked hopefully.

"No, it's Atlantis dialing in," Rodney returned as the familiar blue shimmer spanned inside the gate, illuminating the surroundings with an eerie blue glow.

In the back of the room stood Dadan, his eyes moist, a single tear trickling down the side of his face. He was in awe; after over eighty years on the planet, he was living the dream of every tribe member. He was seeing before him with his very own eyes the truth of the prophecy, the resurrection of the sky people on his planet and the defeat of an old enemy. He was seeing the old mystic city live again, shaking the dust from her wings after so many years lying dormant.

It was Doctor Rodney McKay's voice that suddenly broke through Dadan's reverie. "Here come the good guys," he said in relief as Major Teldy made her way to them from the gate.

The woman, accompanied by her team nodded at him. "Show me those suckers, McKay," she said before nodding toward Ronon who had been standing next to his team mate, silently watching the life signs on the display.

"Ronon, best I can do," Teldy said as she tossed a P90 toward him. "You don't exactly keep your spare power cells visible."

The Satedan grumbled. "It'll do, Major."

 _"MDO Rodin, sir,"_ came a voice over the native communications network.

"Go ahead," Sha said wearily.

 _"Sir, we have spotted Military Organizer Katan, request to bring him in and detain him, sir."_

Ronon tensed at the words, adrenaline started pumping through his body once again. He walked closer to Sha.

Sha narrowed his eyes. "Where?" He asked coldly.

 _"Near the museum, sir, most likely heading for the hangar and the hover section."_

Sha nodded and turned to look at Ronon, but the Satedan was already gone. He keyed the microphone again and spoke to his subordinate. "You have free reign, but somehow I have a feeling someone else will do the work for you," he said gravely.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/I hope you enjoyed the chapter ;)_


	23. Revenge

**Chapter Twenty Three – Revenge**

Ronon rushed through the corridors of Askula, only briefly stopping to check that the junctions were clear of people. He had more important things to care about. Within five minutes he was reaching the ladder, the access point Sha and Teyla had taken earlier. Carefully, he glanced around the empty avenue where he emerged in the open. He saw a couple of Alphas a bit further down the street, occupied with Wraith soldiers. He took off in the opposite direction and moved toward the hangars a few blocks away. He kept a high pace, his breathing elevated almost to the point of panting as he finally reached the large area with the hangar bays which held the Hover crafts. As he rounded a corner he saw the man he'd so wanted to meet; couldn't wait to meet, in fact.

Stealthily he ran alongside the building, till he reached the other corner. He then quickly ran across the small open ground and ended up next to another large hangar. The military native leader walked robotically, like a man on a mission, toward the entrance of the third hangar in a row.

"Katan!" Ronon roared angrily as he set off toward him.

The Military Organizer cursed under his breath and reached for the P90 he'd found in the experimental bunker. However, he was too slow. Ronon reacted immediately, having had years of experience while being a runner, and even more experience recently during the countless times they'd been in trouble off world.

"What's going on?!" Another voice shouted sternly, just in time to see the M.O fall to the ground.

Ronon spared the Alpha team that had shown up beside him no more than a glance. "For Sheppard, even though he probably wouldn't agree," Ronon said in a low and dangerous voice. "But this is my way of retribution, the way you deserve."

The leading lieutenant of the newly arrived Alpha team stared at the Satedan who seemed to radiate satisfaction, yet a bitter sweet expression briefly came over his face, then sadness and resentment for the man before him as he walked over, past the lieutenant, and retrieved the battered P90 from his loose grip.

The Alpha team leader shuddered at the sight of the Military Organzier whose life was slowly being extinguished before him, yet he was unable to move, to go to the man, or call for help. He had been one of the Alphas standing next to Katan when he'd argued that John Sheppard must die on the planet for their own security. He'd heard the rage in Katan's voice, the anger at the defiance of the man who'd then been revealed to be his equal. A proud man who'd done nothing wrong, a man whose only intention had been to get back home.

As one of his men moved forward, the lieutenant reached out with his hand to stop him, they shared a serious look before he finally said in a grave voice, "Military Organizer Katan must die here, for planet security. As a casualty of a war he helped create, a war who took a turn for the ugly because of injustice and insecurity."

Ronon and the lieutenant shared a look, a look of understanding and mutual respect.

"It will end here," the lieutenant said seriously.

Ronon let out a deep breath as relief surged through his body. It was finally over.

OOOOOO

It was three days later, three days since the last Wraith had fallen and the military commander of Atlantis had been brought home, yet time seemed to have stopped. Everywhere Sha looked people were tired, worn, hurt and crying. The horror would take the civilization a long time to get over. However, unlike three days ago, the tears and cries were of joy. Everyone was helping one another on the streets. The military teams were aiding injured people the best they could as the paramedic units already had their hands full. People were still being found under the debris and rubble. Sha sighed and ran a hand through his thick blond hair, mindful of his healing head wound and silently wondered if this was the moment when peace had finally been brought upon them.

He heard footsteps drawing near his position where he stood, just outside what had once been the military command building, and turned his head to see Lani approaching from a slight distance.

He didn't realize how much he'd missed her.

Coming to a stop beside Sha, Lani raised her eyes to steal a cautions yet joyful glance at him. A bright smile appeared on her lips as he drew her near to him, his arms around her small shoulders.

"I can't believe this is happening," Lani mumbled in amazement. "I can't believe it's finally over."

Sha nodded as he let his eyes roam over the immediate area. "It is over, Lani," he said with finality. "It is over."

Lani nodded in agreement as he let his embrace sooth her worries away. She melted into him, his strong arms still around her and had to force herself to push him away slightly so that she had him at an arm's length, her hands on his shoulders. "I heard someone has been a bad patient," she said sternly, although her dazzling smile gave her away.

"I had matters to attend to," he said casually.

"You're lucky I had Colonel Sheppard to see too, otherwise you'd be strapped to that medical bed still today," she threatened lightly.

Sha couldn't help but chuckle at her stern façade. "Has someone told you that your bedside manner might leave a lot to be desired?" he teased.

Lani's golden eyes sparkled as she locked them on his. "Seriously, Sha, I care too much about you for what's considered healthy. In a way you and John Sheppard are like each other. Getting into scrapes, doing heroics…" she trailed off. "The point is, you're injured and don't you try and deny it. You should be resting and recuperating, not standing here and watching this mess," she finished, heatedly waving at the destruction in front of them.

"Are you done?" Sha asked carefully. "I feel fine, and…" he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender at her disbelief, "…before you say anything, I know I don't have a medical degree, but I've only been talking the whole morning, coordinating things on the radio and, as far as I know, talking is done with the mouth which has nothing to do with any injuries of mine."

She slapped him playfully on the chest, earning a grimace as she hit the bruised side of his ribcage. "Why you little…," she began teasingly, her nose crinkling as she broke into a grin.

"There will be changes of course, in every direction and in every lead," Sha said seriously, steering the conversation back again, his eyes narrowing as the sun began to set before them. "I had a brief session with the leader of the government, he let me know that he's pleased with the actions taken. The Triple group is now exposed and we will be of no use as agents anymore."

"It doesn't matter anymore; our purpose was to bring order to chaos, good out of bad and to diffuse tense situations. Our people have been reunited, Sha. We are not needed as such anymore. I can once again return to full duties as Chief Medical Examiner at Section One and I don't have to look over my shoulder anymore, worried about the resistance or the Military Organizer," she said happily before her voice took on a teasing undertone. "Because I don't have to worry about you, do I?"

Sha turned to face her with a frown.

"Military Organizer Sha Rodin," she added amusedly as he straightened.

"You think so?" he said innocently before he shook his head. "No, Chief Medical Examiner Lani Nadim, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not the type to bring in people and try to pry information from them or frame them for something they haven't done."

"What do you think Meren is up to?" she asked suddenly, as they watched the man in question walk onto the podium that had been temporarily placed at the end of the market street.

"I think that he and chancellor Tam are aiming for the truth," Sha said seriously, as they watched people filling the square before them from every direction.

"Anything important going on here?" A direct voice called from behind them, causing both Sha and Lani to jump and detangle themselves from their hold of each other.

Major Lorne and Rackie shared a smile as they walked up to them.

"That's what we intend to find out," Sha said.

"So, Lani, I thought your presence was required at the hospital?" Rackie began teasingly.

She made a face as she turned to him. "I was on my way," she said cryptically. "What are you doing here by the way? Have you bribed my nurses again?"

Rackie laughed softly, ignoring her remark, his eyes twinkling at the pair before him and his black curls bumping as he shook his head. "You see?" he asked Lorne and then shrugged. "They are just friends."

Evan smiled cautiously, knowing full well what others in the Atlantis Expedition must think of his and Jennifer Keller's friendship. It wouldn't do for the military SIC to be friends with the fairly new Chief Medical Officer. He sighed deeply as he put his hands above the P90 hanging loosely from his TAC vest.

"I don't know, Rackie, don't read too much into it," he said with faint amusement.

"Major Lorne, any news on Colonel Sheppard?" Lani asked anxiously. She had been coerced into leaving him and Atlantis behind, her presence needed on her own world.

"Keller has him under the knife," Evan said with a grimace. "However, she was optimistic as to his chances of survival," he went on. "I'm not ready to take on his job just yet."

Lani watched Colonel Sheppard's second in command, wearing a thin smile on her lips. He'd said the last part lightly but she knew his relief was great at the news. Major Lorne was a good man, the best Sheppard could have by his side and Lorne seemed to be more than happy with that. She only hoped that Sha would be as gifted when it came to the SIC he had to choose.

"So," Sha said softly, looking directly at her. "How was Atlantis?"

"Beautiful," she whispered as she glanced at him before turning her full attention ahead of her, to the chancellor. "I only regret Askula can't be restored."

 _"Men and women of…this world, I feel the need to say,"_ Chancellor Tam began. _"I feel I have the right to say such a thing after the tragedy we've all been through."_

A murmur spread through the crowd before him.

 _"What has happened here and what was resolved here earlier today will be remembered in the history books. It will also rewrite a chapter of our own past. I feel that I speak for everyone here when I say that we now stay united, that we all have a common goal for the future."_

"He seems to be a gifted speaker," Lorne remarked.

Rackie nodded. "That he is, but even he has had his doubts. I think they have cleared now."

 _"I know that most of the members of the Atlantis Expedition that played a large role in our salvation have returned to the brilliant sister city of Askula but I would like to thank them anyway. If it hadn't been for their cooperation we wouldn't be standing here today,"_ Tam said truthfully.

There was a cheer among the people and the Chancellor smiled.

 _"We've had enough of secrets, enough of war, it has come to an end and what lies ahead of us is for us to discuss, because we decide our future."_

"He certainly doesn't leave anything out today," Rackie remarked amusedly.

The four of them watch from distance as Meren Kal took a cautious step forward till he stood just beside the chancellor.

 _"I feel that an apology to the people is in order,"_ the renowned scientist admitted seriously _. "I know it will not undo any damage that's already been done but it can prevent history from repeating itself,"_ the scientist said, then spotted some of the young tribespeople in the crowd before him. _"But in some cases, as some have pointed out, history is important and may hold the key to the future."_

Lani and Sha glanced at each other and smiled warmly. It was true; the prophecy would be discussed for a very long time to come.

"Major Lorne," Rackie said with a faint tease and made a mock salute to the man standing next to him. "We're so glad you appeared on our doorstep. But it would have been good if you'd taken Atlantis with you and descended upon us like the true sky people."

Evan laughed and shook his head. "So arriving in a jumper isn't enough for you?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes as he saw Jumper Two head off with Major Teldy and a team of marines in bound for Atlantis.

"It's truly amazing to imagine that a city as large as Askula, or Atlantis for that matter, is able to fly," Rackie mused delightedly. "They're constructed so long ago and still after so many years they are not completely gone."

"No, Atlantis is pretty much up to par," Lorne returned. "However, there have been times when we've been in doubt of our survival out here."

"How did you find her?" Lani said finding herself amazed and lost in her own world of tales spoken to her by Dadan when she was young.

Evan shook his head sadly as if the question took him back in time. "It's a long story, Lani, and I'm sure you'll be told about it someday," he said then changed subject. "A lot of work remains to be done here. We've discussed the matter and a contingent of marines will be staying here for a while, as many as we can spare. Doctor McKay will be staying behind for a few days; to him Askula is like finding a hidden treasure, apparently," Evan finished in amusement.

Lani smiled, her nose crinkling. "I think we've all learned a lot this last couple of days, more than we could have hoped for. Unfortunately we've seen more than we wanted too and lost a fair amount of good people. However, if it weren't for you…" she trailed off gratefully.

It was Lorne's time to smile. "We're happy to help. We've met a fair amount of people and you're among the nicest," he let on wryly.

Sha laughed. "Then I wouldn't want to meet the rest of the galaxy," he said.

"Oh, but you will, MO Rodin," Lorne returned slyly. "I remember hearing about similar expeditions through the Stargate as we've taken. In cooperation with us, of course."

Lani slapped Sha playfully on the shoulder. "What? You're going to make the galaxy unsafe now?"

"Well, I must do something exhilarating between all those tons of paperwork that awaits me," the new military leader smiled.

She harrumphed. "We'll I'm going to be busy scanning the entire population in search for the ATA gene," Lani filled in. "The chance must be close to zero given the fact that the so-called sky people emigrated from our lovely planet, but I'll give it a try."

"There is going to be someone. There must be, considering the fact that the man who set up our power distribution system got his mind overloaded by information from the ascended. How else could he have gotten that unless he was compatible?" Sha reasoned.

"He had no children," Lani returned. "So even if he had the ATA gene, he didn't have a heir."

Lorne chuckled at them. "Good luck," he said amusedly.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Thank you guys for your comments on the previous chapter ;)_


	24. The Return

**Chapter Twenty Four – The Return**

Jennifer Keller awoke with a start as something smashed to the ground next to her. Wearily she blinked her eyes open and scrunched her forehead, covering her eyes briefly with the palms of her hands, and let out a deep sigh.

She sat like that for a while, trying to sort herself out. It had been a few hectic days after they'd finally found Colonel Sheppard and his team. Major Lorne had done his best trying to keep order in a chaotic environment as the expedition was awaiting Colonel Carter's arrival, but non-existent information about John Sheppard and his team had constantly been the number one topic of conversation of among the staff. Everyone seemed a bit on the edge.

Jennifer hadn't been that long on Atlantis and she didn't really know what to expect. 'In Pegasus you have to expect the unexpected', Carson Beckett, her friend and mentor, had said once when he'd told her about a vacant position among his staff a few years ago, but she hadn't been ready for the big world then. Now, as she looked back upon what had happened in such a short time, she still wasn't sure that she was ready.

It was only a few months ago that Carson had approached her again to come and work with him, and after a bit of persuasion, she'd agreed to join the great adventure in the Pegasus galaxy. She'd embarked on the trip with a duffel bag swung over her shoulder containing a framed photo of her father and some other dear possessions amongst her clothes. She had been nervous, so nervous in fact that she'd felt a knot in her stomach, but Carson had promised to make her welcome and told her that she would like it in Atlantis.

Jennifer shook her head sadly at the memory and sighed in annoyance as she glanced down on the floor to see the glass of water she'd managed to send over the edge of her desk in her semi-awareness. The half full glass lay broken in pieces as the water gently seeped its' way over the floor.

She got up and out of her chair, heading for a cloth and swipes, but she wasn't really focused on the task at hand. Her mind was taking her back to when Carson had introduced her to his staff, showed her the way to the infirmary and then the rest of the magnificent city. She'd been fed stories and tales from various sources and departments which had welcomed her among the rest of the newly arrived personnel that day.

Then, on her third day in the city, while she was still getting to know the place, came the call about genetic mutations in some of the staff. She hadn't known about it then- if she had Carson would still have been alive. He'd refused to involve her, obviously thinking it was too soon for her to take care of such matters. Instead he'd sacrificed himself, taken Doctor Biro's shift as she'd retired with a headache.

Ironically Jennifer knew she was not the only one who blamed herself for her good friend's death; there were plenty, in fact. Rodney was devastated as he kept going on about that fishing trip he'd refused to go on with Carson. Both Major Lorne and Colonel Sheppard were mourning in their own stoic ways, too angry with themselves for not taking care of the matters instead of the doctor. Ronon didn't say anything but she knew he was devastated too, they all were. It soon became obvious to her that Carson Beckett had meant a lot to everyone on the entire base. No one had said anything then, but the horrible truth had no sooner revealed itself to her- she was to take command of the medical matters and become the CMO of Atlantis.

Jennifer chuckled without mirth to herself as she remembered how dumbstruck she'd appeared in front of Doctor Weir when it had been decided. She had protested, afraid of becoming a failure because she was after all quite young and, compared to everyone else on the expedition, inexperienced in Pegasus. Her lame protests had been in vain and her attempts at telling Doctor Weir that she was not ready for such a responsibility had been futile.

The young doctor gently knelt to pick up the glass as she thought back with utter and yet horrible fascination at the various cases Carson had discussed with her during their short period as working colleagues.

When she was finally able to picture herself in the role of CMO came the next blow to the expedition. The day Doctor Elizabeth Weir had been injured by the Asuran beam and brought down to the infirmary, everyone expecting her to perform a miracle. Out of desperation she'd approached Rodney and asked him to help her save Elizabeth's life with Nanite technology. She remembered the vivid argument that followed between John and Rodney and the order John had issued; that Elizabeth was not to be saved if that was the only way to do it.

At first she hadn't really understood how he could say such a thing, then when she watched Elizabeth being miraculously healed to the extent that even her hair had grown back, she had shuddered involuntarily. Jennifer would forever remember the look on Elizabeth's face when she told her about the nanites in her body. Perhaps she'd been naïve to think that the woman before her would be happy to be alive. The condemnation the diplomat had directed towards her and the security measures Sheppard had taken against Elizabeth at first had made the young doctor doubt her actions. Elizabeth Weir had walked out of her infirmary the day after her recovery and left Atlantis, never to return again. She had sacrificed herself on the Asuran planet to save the lives of Colonel Sheppard and Jennifer had never been able to tell her she was sorry or explained to Elizabeth why she'd insisted on using Nanite technology.

Jennifer sighed and swallowed, her mouth dry, as she swiped the floor clear of the water and started to pick up the shredded glass. "I won't lose Colonel Sheppard as well," she muttered under her breath.

"Jennifer?" A soft voice asked from the doorway, causing the doctor to jerk and cut her thumb on the glass.

"I'll help you with that," Teyla said as she bent down next to her and took the cloth from her.

Jennifer grimaced a little as she gently pressed on the small cut with her other thumb and index finger to make sure there was no glass embedded. "Thanks, I was brooding," she said sheepishly.

"You did well," The Athosian said kindly. "You cannot look back out here, you can only look forward. It is a way of survival."

Keller rocked on her heels looking thoughtful, almost regretful for a moment. "I don't know, Teyla, if I'm right for this job," she said truthfully.

"What made you come here?" Teyla asked curiously, despite the fact that she already knew the answer.

"Carson," Jennifer answered. "I let him persuade me, smooth talk me into coming here."

The Athosian nodded as she slowly got up and walked over to a bin and disposed of the glass. "Earth is a relatively safe place, I suppose, compared to the Pegasus galaxy. It's a special kind of life to be a part of this expedition but it gives a lot back," Teyla said with a smile. "You are needed here, Jennifer, wanted here. It will not be the same without you. And before you go on with what must be a negative train of thought, please think of yourself as an asset to this place and as a friend."

The young doctor couldn't help but smile at the genuine friendship Teyla was offering as she gently squeezed her shoulder.

The Athosian suddenly became serious, her face even looked troubled as she cast a glance over her shoulder. "I came here to see John. May I sit with him for a while?" She asked.

"Of course, Teyla. He's stable, still not out of the woods yet but he's improving with every minute. Just don't expect him to wake up anytime soon."

OOOOOO

John Sheppard awoke slowly from the medically induced sleep, several hours after Teyla had silently left the room, mentally cursing the cotton that seemed to coil itself around his cortex. He felt almost no pain- at least he couldn't point to a specific pain, everything was dulled.

Wearily his eyes trailed the IV line and the blood line up to the top of the pole and the half full bags hanging loosely from it. For a moment he found himself wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him as they had so many times before, but this time he shook that thought away. He was no longer down in Askula. He couldn't be because the air was clean and crisp, mixed with a faint smell of antiseptics and the floors were clean, the beds opposite him fully functioning and occupied by scientists and a cook that he recognized.

John carefully turned his head slightly to his left and let out a deep breath, the last of his doubts leaving him lethargic as he stared at the beautiful arched window. Through the old painted glass he saw the faint glow of the moons and, as he strained his neck, craning it almost till it hurt, he could see the east pier and the vast ocean. A ghost of a smile creased his lips and an immediate sense of relief flooded him. He was finally home. Gingerly he eased back on the pillow and let sleep claim him once again.

When he opened his eyes the next time it was almost noon and the infirmary was bustling with activity. He slowly turned his head as he saw a woman sitting next to him in the visitor's chair wearing a thin smile.

"I leave for five minutes to see to business at home and you still manage to attract trouble," Samantha Carter said amusedly as she leaned slightly forward.

"It's not like I planned to end up here," Sheppard retorted, trying to sound more annoyed than he actually was.

"Actually, John, given the alternative I'm glad that you did," she said seriously. "Losing Carson Beckett and Elizabeth Weir has been a severe blow to the expedition but losing you too would be devastating."

"I won't accept that she's dead, Sam," he returned stubbornly. "There's no proof that she is."

"There's no proof that she's alive either," she replied softly. "I'm sorry, John."

He nodded thoughtfully knowing he would get nowhere with his reasoning, and at the moment he was tired, too tired to argue about anything so instead he said; "I'm glad you came. I have enough on my plate with the military side of this expedition. I never wanted to be the man with all the responsibility on my shoulders."

Silence settled over them for a moment as they looked at each other. Then Sheppard painfully raised his hand to his forehead in a salute. "I stand relieved, Colonel Carter," he said.

She returned the accustomed gesture before breaking into a smile. "I'm assuming responsibility, Colonel Sheppard," she replied and then reached out to gently squeeze his shoulder. "Get well soon, John."

He found himself nodding in return before drifting off to sleep once again.

OOOOOO

Chuck jumped slightly in the late evening as the silence that had settled at the end of the shift was rudely interrupted by a bad communication link from Askula.

 _"This is Doctor McKay calling Atlantis,"_ he said through heavy static.

The gate technician quickly straightened in his chair and then let his hands fly over the controls to try and steady the signal. "I read you, Doctor McKay," he said curtly.

 _"Look, I-."_ Uncharacteristically the scientist trailed off for a moment.

Chuck frowned as he checked and rechecked the communications link.

"Say again, you're breaking up," the gate technician urged.

 _"How's Sheppard?"_ McKay finally asked.

"He's on the mend, Rodney," Samantha Carter filled in, surprising Chuck as she came up from behind him. She blinked at the technician and added for his ears only; "I was in the neighborhood."

 _"Carter?"_ They heard Rodney question in disbelief. _"How long have you been there?"_

"Just a few hours, Rodney," she admitted softly. "Like I said, Colonel Sheppard is on the mend. I've just had a short chat with him and a longer one with Doctor Keller."

There was audible relief coming from the link and the scientist's voice took on a much more confident, normal tone; one less worried. _"What did she say?"_ he asked.

"That his recovery will take some time," Sam cautioned. "It's not like he's going to bounce back up from this. He'll need a lot of help and encouragement, team missions will be almost non-existent the next month. I figure he'll have time to catch up with his paperwork."

Rodney snorted. _"He's going to love that. Me on the other hand it suits perfectly, that way I can take up some of the research projects I haven't had time with considering my hectic schedule. The Colonel can help me a lot by just being on the base,"_ he said happily.

Samantha smirked, sharing a look with Chuck. "I'm sure he's going to love that too, Rodney," she let on.

 _"Good, then it's settled,"_ Rodney replied. _"Then there's the main reason I called, I mean except for Sheppard, of course. I need supplies and I need them fast. I'm running a diagnostic up here in the control room and while I do that, I thought I could see if I can get the interface to work with me and not against me."_

"Tell me what you need and I'll see to it. Do you need Zelenka over there?" Sam asked, knowing that statement alone would rattle Rodney.

 _"I'm doing just fine without him,"_ came the instant, somewhat testy reply. _"It's enough with that ever smiling, annoying supposedly brilliant engineer that's running around the place, and then some."_

Chuck shook his head in exasperation and at Carter's frown he added; "Rackie."

"I'll need a report by the morning, Rodney, you've had three days on site, so please get back here for a few hours for a debriefing," Sam said. "I've been talking to Teyla- have you seen Ronon back there somewhere? I didn't catch him here when he apparently came back to check on Sheppard."

 _"No, I haven't had the time to-"_ silence broke the link.

"Rodney? What's going on?"

 _"He's here,"_ they heard him mumble. Then the Stargate suddenly lit up.

Chuck frowned. "Incoming wormhole from P3X- I mean Askula," he reported.

Carter nodded. "Open the gate," she ordered as she turned away from the console and walked up to the gangway overlooking the gate room.

The gate opened and shut down almost instantly, disposing a serious looking Ronon Dex. He glanced up at her, and Samantha Carter didn't scare easily, but the chilly look, the torn and dusty clothes, the blood smeared in various places and the gash on his forehead made him look like something from a zombie movie. He looked like the very determined soldier he'd probably been once, back on his home planet. It made the hair at the back of her neck rise as she turned away from him and headed downstairs.

"Colonel Carter," he acknowledged politely as she came to stand opposite him.

She nodded grimly. "Ronon, what's been going on?"

"The last fighting faction has been stopped. Turned out pretty ugly," he said succinctly, but when he looked at her a wicked smile carefully crept over his lips.

Samantha Carter nodded at the specialist, the rank he'd had a long time ago, silently wondering what kind of specialist he'd really been. He was relieved and amused as he stood there before her.

"I heard Military Organizer Jaha Katan has been taken care off," Carter said then added; "my compliments, however not the IOAs'."

His eyes twinkled at that. "I overheard Sheppard was on the mend," he said. "I'll head down to the infirmary before I head back to help out again."

"Take a break, Ronon. You deserve it. Lorne can take the supplies and aid the scientists. I'll assign a bunch of marines to go with the next batch of helping hands from the civilian department."

The Satedan looked to be considering it for a moment, then shook his head. "I'll go anyway, I like to feel useful."

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Finally, another chapter ;) Sorry for the delay. Thanks for the feedback on the previous chapter! I appreciate it. You're the best._


	25. The Explanation

**Chapter Twenty Five – The Explanation**

It was two weeks later when Colonel John Sheppard first felt the wind in his hair again. The south-easterly breeze played with it, tousling the strands of unruly black. He stopped just outside the door to the large balcony next to the gate room for a moment and closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. He stood there, just stood there, letting the wind sooth his frayed nerves as he took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. It felt good, the fresh air filled him with energy as the sun warmed his pale face. He slowly walked up to the railing, curling his fingers around the top bar until his knuckles turned white. Carefully he leaned forward and glanced down the Central spire of Atlantis, the view breath-taking. The ocean below glittered in the sun as the waves gently lapped at the piers. He continued to take in the stillness, the peaceful tranquillity that had settled over the large ancient city in the late afternoon. Everywhere he looked lights were on, every tower and lower building bustled with life.

His eyes darkened when he thought back to the sister city of Atlantis and her sacrifice, her inhabitants' sacrifice, both the originals and the new ones.

The door behind him swished open suddenly and he tensed for a moment, then forced himself to relax; he was, after all, safe and sound back home. There would be no Wraith, no fighting resistance or crazed military officers coming for him.

"There you are," Rodney said, sounding relieved. "I looked for you in the infirmary. I even went to your quarters-" he trailed off as he walked up to stand next to his friend and team leader. "Should you be standing here? You might catch a bug or something."

"I'm fine, Rodney. I'm not made of glass," Sheppard returned but his voice sounded weary, thoughtful even.

"No, you're not but sometimes, I swear, I don't think you're human either," Rodney said solemnly as he too leaned forward over the railing to gaze out over the ocean. "It's not that I'm not glad that you survived, don't get me wrong-" he let the sentence hang in the air and sighed. "I just don't know how you do it. And I just don't know how many more times I can take it."

John turned toward the scientist, looking almost annoyed as he narrowed his eyes. "I don't like deep discussions Rodney, and I know you don't either," he cautioned.

Rodney mirrored his movement. "No, I don't. I'm not good at it so don't make it harder for me than it already is," he said with an undertone of deep emotion. "I don't make friends easily, you know that. I'm perhaps persona non grata to many, an idiot to some-" Rodney's eyes gleamed as he added arrogantly: "but those are an exception."

Sheppard rolled his eyes, his lips curling slightly upwards in amusement.

"Fine, I get it, I'll try not to die," John promised.

"No, that's not what I meant," Rodney protested.

Sheppard grimaced. "Geez, thanks McKay," he returned dryly.

"Well, basically it was, but you make it sound so simple," he reasoned. "Bottom-line, stop attracting trouble."

"Believe me," John returned ruefully. "I try that every single day."

They stood in silence for a while, no words really necessary. Then suddenly John spoke up. "I guess I've never asked, not sure I really wanted to know, but what happened Rodney?" he asked seriously. "What happened on P3X-667?"

Rodney scratched the back of his head absentmindedly, averting his gaze from his friend for a moment to stare at the floor. "Ah, look, why don't we go down to the mess hall?" he suggested. "I'm starving."

"I haven't been outside for almost two weeks, Rodney, what's wrong with this place?" John asked.

"It's a long and complicated story. I'm hungry and I don't plan on standing here till midnight because that's how long it would take. Now, do you need help getting there?"

Sheppard gave him an indignant look.

"Good," Rodney added.

OOOOOO

Teyla and Ronon glanced up as the door opened to reveal Rodney and John. They had been waiting for them at a table next to the windows with a view of the west side of the city.

"So you planned this?" John asked sarcastically as he spotted the rest of his team from a distance.

"Not really," Rodney returned as they walked up to the line. "It was you who wanted to talk. I only planned to get you to eat."

Teyla got up from the chair and moved gracefully toward them, waited till Sheppard had his plate full and then gently put it on a tray along with the knife and fork, napkin and a glass of water.

"Teyla," John began softly, yet the underlying sarcasm shone right through as he spoke. "I'm not an invalid and I'm not dying carrying that myself."

She eyed him, her eyes stern but her lips were slightly curled upwards as she ignored his remark and moved away with the tray.

Soon they were all settled. John raised an eyebrow as Rodney dug into a huge steak. The plate was filled to the brim with sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetables. To top it all off, a cup of Jell-O sat next to it on the tray. "You weren't kidding when you said you were hungry Rodney, huh?" John asked dryly.

Rodney gave him a glare but said nothing.

John eyed his own tray where a bowl of soup sat waiting. "You know sometimes people say things, little white lies, to soothe things over…"

"What you call tactfulness I call a waste of time," Rodney interrupted as he took another bite.

John couldn't help but to chuckle in exasperation as he picked up his spoon to carefully sip on his soup.

"I'm glad you could come, John," Teyla said as she put her fingers around a steaming cup of green tea that sat on the table before her. "It is the small things, things that we do every day, things that we take for granted, that give us the whole picture."

"We've missed you, Sheppard," Ronon said as he reached for Rodney's Jell-O, earning himself a look of disbelief followed by a "Hey!"

"We've touched the subject briefly every now and then but we've never really talked it through, have we?" Teyla stated softly. "Jennifer didn't want us to discuss it, did not want any setbacks in your recovery."

"Maybe I would have recovered quicker if someone would have just had the guts to tell me what the hell went on at that planet!" he returned with a hint of underlying anger yet he kept his voice controlled.

No one said anything for a moment; instead an awkward silence settled over the table and its occupants.

It was John who broke the silence, his voice low, not wanting the rest of the people in the room to overhear. "It still wakes me at night sometimes," he said solemnly. "I keep seeing you leave me, I feel the arrow impacting my leg, feel the raw flesh and the poison spreading through my body as I watch the Ancient ship leave after they'd delivered the final blow to the Stargate."

Rodney gently swiped his mouth with the napkin and put down his fork. "We ran through the gate, we reappeared in Atlantis and we waited for you to come but you never did. As I said to you on the planet, we thought you were caught in the buffer. We tried to redial but it was in vain."

Ronon shrugged as he dug into Rodney's Jell-O. "We got onto a jumper, dialed a space gate to try and get you back. It took us some time to get back there," he filled in.

"We came as fast as we could, John," Teyla said with regret. "What happened?"

He nodded, he knew they did, still he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. "I feared the savages would come after me once everything had calmed down. I began to walk, then drag myself forward as time went past. I came to an incline and headed for the top, I never thought I'd find a city-"

"Yes, how did you end up there?" Rodney asked curiously as he took a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"That I don't really know, Rodney," John let on solemnly. "When I came to the edge, staring down at the lights of the city from above I let go of consciousness. I just wanted to be left alone, to rest in peace for a moment. When I woke up I found myself in a hospital bed-"

"Considering your track record, that's not really unusual," Rodney quipped.

"Rodney," Teyla cautioned with a glare.

"There was a man there questioning, whom I later learned to be, the Chief Medical Officer, Lani Nadim. He wanted to know everything about me. He demanded answers, threatening to take me to some military compound – the experimental bunker."

Ronon smiled maliciously as he leaned forward where he sat next to Rodney, opposite Teyla. "But you escaped," he said, proud of his friend.

"Not the way I planned," Sheppard let on cryptically.

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" Rodney complained.

"I got abducted by some Medic called Teldan Tori who, together with his associates, took me down below the city to meet and greet with the leader of the resistance; Amni Lak," Sheppard finished sarcastically.

The others waited for him to continue.

Sheppard eyed them one at a time, he looked serious and dismayed at the same time as he recalled the events. "I was thrown into the middle of a politic gamble, I found the planet was on the brink of civil war. I've never liked politics and diplomacy and now, after this little adventure, I like it even less."

"Anyway, they thought I was a member of the Special Forces, namely the Alpha teams. They told me their version of why they were fighting the military and the government, they told me of disbelief and superstition. They told me the final straw had been drawn. At the time I didn't know who to trust, who to label the good or bad guys. Quite frankly it took me a long time to do so."

"Surely Lani and Sha-" Teyla began.

"I didn't have the pleasure seeing them any time soon," Sheppard countered. He knew Teyla had no way of knowing what he'd been through but he still felt as if he was trying to explain a complex mathematical problem to a five year old. "Instead I was fed a story of an upcoming alien invasion, about a prophecy painted on the walls of an old cave. I was told as of how the savages had come down to the city and caused a wide spread panic by sharing their belief. In the middle of this I realized the dark enemy they were talking about were the Wraith. The fact that I was in a room of Lantean design and that the name Janus was mentioned to me gave me some hope that I might get out of the situation alive."

"After a while Amni Lak and his cohorts of the resistance suddenly turned the tables and instead of taking me for an Alpha member they suggested I was an alien coming from the ship that had roamed the sky earlier. It turned ugly, they had found the government was poking in the past and that things of Lantean design could be useful in the upcoming war. They knew almost nothing of the society that had once been on the planet and didn't understand that they was currently residing in an old flying city far more powerful than anything else on the planet."

"And so they made you turn something on?" Rodney asked as he finished his meal.

John frowned.

"Come on Sheppard, smart guy over here," Rodney added with a sly smile.

"Yes," he let on, unconsciously wringing his hands, his soup mostly untouched. "Unfortunately or fortunately, I still don't know which, an Alpha team decided to crash the party. I managed to escape the immediate danger but-" he chuckled without mirth. "Let's just say I had some trouble getting where I wanted in the city."

Rodney nodded. "Yes with the proximity problem out of the way the most reasonable thing to do would have been to find Askula's own Stargate," he said.

"Katan caught you," Ronon guessed.

Sheppard nodded. "And he blamed me for everything," he said as he leaned forward looking directly at Ronon and Rodney. "So, where were you guys?"

"That's small of you, Sheppard," Rodney muttered somewhat angrily. "You think it was a walk in the park to find you?"

John shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I know you did what you could."

He felt a small hand close on his upper arm, giving it a squeeze. He turned slightly to see Teyla looking at him sombrely with a soft smile on her lips that didn't reach her eyes.

"The Wraith passed us on their way to the planet," she explained. "We landed next to the savage's land, the only place we knew of."

"Almost bumped into a hoover craft, turned out to be your doctor, Lani Nadim," Ronon filled in.

"Dadan, the old wise man, greeted us and asked us to forgive them for being narrow-minded, for not understanding what we were," Teyla explained.

"He guessed we were descendants of the Ancients?" John asked carefully, curiously as he thought back at the furious old man and his young soldiers that had hunted them with bows and arrows the first time he'd met them.

"Then we slowly began to learn about all the intrigues and resentments among the different factions in the city," Teyla went on. "With the help of Lani we found the old city below. We decided to split up to push things along. Ronon and I started the search for you while Rodney and Lani took a detour to the museum."

"I was hoping to find something that might speed along the rescue mission but instead we found the history of Askula," Rodney let on. "We found the reason to why the old Lantean city was sitting in a crater beneath the new larger city above."

"She saved them all, John," Teyla said with pride. "It was as Rodney thought, something was going on at the planet. It was a place for discussion, for technology exchange and mission briefings. The cities connected to each other like they were back on the Asuran home world."

"Then the Wraith came," Ronon spoke up in a low voice as he stared at the bottom of his empty glass. "They broke up the gathering, took out several cities and extinguished a lot of lives. Askula stayed behind to shelter the rest with her advanced shielding technology that Janus had been working on."

"She saved the others, Atlantis among them," Teyla explained. "If it weren't for Askula and her inhabitants we would never had found Atlantis at the bottom of the ocean four years ago."

"Maybe she hadn't made it to earth," Rodney mused.

"Ancients with guts to act," Ronon added with a faint smile. "Wish there were more of them."

"What happened to them?" John asked curiously. "Not all of them were laid to rest in that cave we found on our first visit."

"They travelled through the Stargate, leaving Askula behind. The city was beyond repair, they were outnumbered and lacked the resources. They set up the shield to protect the planet's native inhabitants from Wraith attacks, feeling it was their fault they came to the planet in the first place. That in turn made it possible for a civilization to grow and flourish to the extent we've seen," Rodney added.

"But they never learned the true story?" John asked sceptically.

"Not until now," Rodney replied. "The city was left in darkness and riddled with mysteries. She was badly damaged and, as you know, loss of structural integrity made it hard to explore her. Also they set lose a virus in one of the labs in an era when superstition was strong that led to a belief that the city was haunted."

There was a silence settling over the company while everybody contemplated on the fate of Atlantis' sister city.

"Then we finally found you, bleeding to death before our eyes," Rodney let on sarcastically.

John looked a bit awkward as he straightened in his chair, grimacing as certain actions still hurt, pulling on the incisions that went across his torso, a remainder of the tragic shooting at the planet. "This might sound a bit odd to you but-"

"The word odd has a whole new meaning to me since I embarked on this expedition," Rodney interrupted dryly, his way of telling that nothing Sheppard could say would actually surprise him.

"If it weren't for Carson I don't know if I would be sitting here today," he finally admitted.

"The mind can play tricks on you," Teyla said. "Especially in your condition."

"I saw him, he appeared before me, right then and there," John let on stubbornly. "He told me to hold on, that you would be coming for me and that we would see each other again in the near future."

"Carson was killed in that explosion, John," Rodney said solemnly, his expression stern and his eyes haunted as he thought back on their friend and his demise.

"I don't know any longer, Rodney," John returned cryptically. "Stranger things have happened in the Pegasus Galaxy."

"What did he tell you except to hold on?" Rodney returned unamused. "That pigs do fly and that Elizabeth Weir will knock on our doorstep in a week or so?"

Sheppard refrained from telling him about Elizabeth, instead he just shook his head ruefully.

"I'm a scientist," Rodney cautioned. "I believe in facts, rules and regulations until otherwise has been proven and so far I don't know of any way in which you can bring back the dead."

"Let's leave it there shall we?" Teyla said diplomatically, her voice soft yet with a hint of caution. She turned to look at them one at a time and smiled when her eyes settled upon Sheppard. "We're just glad you are still alive, John."

He nodded slowly, accepting her statement. "What happened then?" he finally asked. "I'm afraid I don't remember much after Katan used me for target practice."

Teyla sighed and ran a hand through her hair but it was Ronon who spoke up, surprising John.

"It's complicated, Sheppard. Like you told us the society was made up of factions disagreeing on everything between earth and sky," he said.

Rodney harrumphed. "More like what was _in_ the sky," he added sarcastically.

The Satedan and the scientist glared at each other for a while and John suddenly found himself immensely grateful for everything normal around him. He'd missed it, missed them; Ronon's straight forwardness, Rodney's arrogance and Teyla's diplomacy and tact. Together they made up the best team in the galaxy.

"I'm sure that on your world it's more common than for any other here in the Pegasus galaxy," Teyla began slowly as she gazed out through the window and caught the last light of the sun before it passed the horizon. "We saw a movie once together that may be best described as a parallel. I believe they used double agents."

John frowned and made a face as he dipped some broth into the now cold soup. "I'm all ears," he said, encouraging her to go on.

"They called themselves Triples," Rodney filled in. "I fail to see why? Made me think about Star Trek and that episode with all the tribbles."

Teyla raised an impeccable eyebrow and turned to face McKay. "What is a Tribble?" she asked.

John almost choked on a breath and coughed lightly, his lips twisting upwards in what looked like amusement. "I'll tell you about them, Teyla, some other day."

She looked indignant as her gaze lingered on him for a moment, knowing there was more to it.

"Your doc, Lani, she was one of them," Ronon offered casually.

Rodney nodded. "She and that blond guy – military defense officer, Rodin," he explained as he eyed the now empty Jell-O next to Ronon in envy. "You know you took the last one, don't you?"

"You mean _you_ took the last one?" Ronon countered with a smirk. "Snatched it right in front of the botany assistant. I saw you. Where's your manners?"

"You-" McKay began, his voice low and threatening.

"Careful, Rodney," John said with a smirk, his eyes twinkling. "It's not good for the blood pressure to get that upset."

"Katan was taken to detention and Sha just took over his position like a natural thing. There were no questions, only obedience and acceptance from the soldiers. Many of them already loyal to him and not Katan," Teyla explained. "Had it not been for Lani and Sha. Had they not chose to step forward the whole matter would have ended differently."

"The Wraith," John stated.

"They penetrated the defense grid, gave us a lot of trouble," Rodney said seriously. We got into a game of hide and seek. Teyla and Lani took off with you to the infirmary while Ronon and I tried to reach the chair."

"We reached the infirmary," Teyla said, her voice becoming hollow and sad. "I waited for you to come around but you were seriously injured, Lani fought hard to patch you up. I couldn't stay, I couldn't sit idle, John, I'm sorry."

"Why would I blame you, Teyla?" John said softly as he reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You made a choice to help, a good choice."

"About that," Rodney said solemnly. "I'm sorry I couldn't act sooner."

Something jogged John's memory and he distinctly recalled Carson's pale face as he said Teyla's name. He had on the tip of his tongue that Carson mentioned something was amiss but caught himself. Some things were best kept to himself.

Rodney turned to John. "Long story short. Dadan and his tribespeople ventured into Askula to lend a hand. With their help we managed to get to the chair and fire off the remaining drones."

"Blew the Hive sky high," Ronon added proudly, wickedly.

"Not before it blew the military command complex sky high with Teyla in it," Rodney reminded him.

"I'm glad you managed to take it out at all," Teyla reassured him. "I don't think it would have stopped firing otherwise."

"Then we found the control room," Rodney said, then snorted, his lips paring in a smile that seemed almost manic. "Put like this it sounds so simple, like it was a walk in the park."

"We got caught up in the middle of a fighting faction, they tried to engage us," Ronon let on. "Then Teyla, Sha and several Alphas came to even out the odds a bit."

Teyla seemed amused as she fixed Rodney with her eyes, looking almost sympathetic. "It was Sha who pointed us in the right direction so that we could find the Stargate," she pointed out.

Rodney leaned forward, his elbows on the table before him. "Sure, why don't you rub it in?" he asked ironically. "Let me just remind you who it was that reconnected the gate to the system and fixed so that we could all go home?"

"So it was a team effort then?" John asked with a smirk.

"That's pretty much the end of it," Ronon added succinctly. "Lorne came with a jumper, took out some Wraith down below. Keller was with him – took care of you, probably saved your sorry ass," he said, the last sentence dripping of sarcasm and amusement meant to trigger annoyance.

John merely raised an eyebrow cockily. He then shrugged and glanced around the now empty room, except for the team. The sun had long set and darkness hung around the city.

"So," he finally drawled, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "Thanks for saving me, guys."

"Anytime, I just love to meet and greet some Wraith, being shot upon by alien Special Forces, resistance members and half crazed tribespeople-"

"What Rodney means is that we'd do it again, John," Teyla interrupted softly as she gently squeezed his shoulder. "We would do it anytime."

 _"I told you, lad,"_ a faint whisper echoed through the room.

"John?" Teyla asked in concern as she felt him tense.

"Anybody else hear that?" he asked carefully.

Rodney shrugged. "The ventilation system has been off lately, probably a bug in the system," he offered, like it was no big deal. "I suppose I shouldn't have let Zelenka be in charge of fixing it."

Ronon silently got up and slid behind John to slap him on the back. "Glad to have you back, Sheppard," he said.

"Yeah," John admitted as he gingerly rose from the chair, the others mimicking his action. "It's good to be home."

Rodney cast a glance at his watch and shook his head.

"What?" John asked in annoyance at the creepy smile on the scientist's lips.

"I told you it would take till midnight, turns out I was off with only three minutes," he said smugly.

OOOOOO

To be continued

 _/Sorry for the wait. As usual, thanks a lot for all encouragements and reviews ;) You do make my day._


	26. Revisit the Promised Land

**Chapter Twenty Six – Revisit the Promised Land**

Military Organizer Sha Rodin strode into the gate room, his uniform crisp and fresh. His hands were clasped behind his back, his blue eyes twinkled and his lips curved upwards faintly as he stopped to glance around the room. It had been six weeks since they'd first come into contact with the Wraith, the so called Travelers and the Atlantis expedition. He straightened as he walked up to the Stargate seeing Dadan standing there.

The old leader of the tribe looked up as he saw the younger man approach, and he smiled. "Sha," he said curtly. He hadn't seen much of the military man for over two weeks and then it had only been brief. There had been so much to do for them both that there simply hadn't been any time left. "You are looking well."

Sha looked smug for a moment, seemingly enjoying himself. "I feel well, Dadan," he replied. "And, seeing what's been done to this place and the rest of the city, I can't feel anything but proud."

Dadan nodded thoughtfully. At the same time as the new city as it was now called, was being rebuilt, Askula was being repaired. The Central spire was almost fully restored with all its beauty.

"This is like a dream coming true," Dadan said, thinking back on everything that had happened and where they were going.

Sha was about to say something when Rackie appeared on the gangway to the large office situated near the control stations one level up from the Stargate.

"There you are, Sha. I thought I heard your voice," Rackie said with a wide grin. "I wanted to wait for you until I dialled Atlantis but I nearly lost patience and went ahead without you."

Sha turned to look up at the happy engineer who leaned lazily against the railing. He then shook his head and let out a low chuckle before turning serious again, hands on his hips. "You can't dial without my permission to do so," he replied smugly.

Rackie stood up straight and gave a mock salute as he glanced down at the leading military officer. "If you don't mind, sir. I think there's someone waiting for us from a faraway distance," he said.

Sha frowned innocently, deliberately teasing the now impatient engineer. "Why didn't you say so, Rackie?" he asked, although he knew full well that the engineer was right. Then with a nonchalant wave of his hand he added; "Dial Atlantis."

Sha and Dadan watched as the symbols on the gate lit up one by one until the whole address had been given. The Stargate responded with a whooshing sound and the shimmer of the blue puddle lit up the room, giving it a glow that seemed almost supernatural.

They heard the engineer talking to a man at the other end, then suddenly Colonel Sheppard and his team walked through the ring. The Stargate, sensing that everyone had walked through, quickly disengaged, leaving only the daylight to stream in from the large window behind it.

"Sha," Teyla said softly and they met halfway to bow in the traditional Athosian custom.

"Teyla," he replied, then turned to the others. "Doctor McKay, Ronon." His eyes lingered on Sheppard for a moment. "Colonel Sheppard, I'm pleased to see you up and about without any shredded clothes or bleeding wounds."

John chuckled as they shook hands, they eyed each other for a moment. One black haired, fairly lean man with hazel eyes and the other blond haired and muscular with broad shoulders and the deepest blue eyes to see. However, there was no competition between them, they were equal. The fact was that they shared a similar view of military ways, honor and friendship. They both fought for what they believed was right, even if it would cost them greatly.

Dadan chose that moment to walk up to John. "I regret the things we did when you first came here, Colonel Sheppard," he said solemnly. "You brought order out of chaos, brought purpose to our people and told us our history. I'm truly grateful that you came."

They shook hands in respect for one another.

"There were times when I wished I'd never come, Dadan," Sheppard returned truthfully with a serious look on his face before an enigmatic smirk played on it. "But perhaps it was meant to be?"

"We did not know any better, please forgive us," Dadan added. "You are welcome here anytime you want and we'll restore this old girl, perhaps not in my lifetime but she will be restored to her former glory, of that I'm sure."

"You've done wonders with this place already," Teyla said cheerfully as she glanced around the bright room until her eyes settled on the large window behind the gate, the sun refracting through the richly colored glass.

"Teyla, I thought I heard your voice!" Rackie exclaimed as he bounced down the stairs and then nodded at Ronon and the others.

"John, this is Rackie," the Athosian said with a smile. "Rackie, this is Colonel Sheppard."

"Please to finally meet you, sir," Rackie said curtly. "I've heard a lot about you. The fact is that you're becoming something of a legend here."

"John, Rackie's a brilliant engineer, he's been helping us out a lot," she explained.

Rodney huffed. "It's not like he's got a PhD or two."

John snorted in amusement, knowing that the whining meant only that Rodney was feeling a little threatened by the handsome younger engineer. He shook hands with Rackie and rolled his eyes slightly. "Just ignore him," he advised, nodding at the scientist behind his back.

"Any trouble?" Ronon asked, looking directly at Sha.

He shook his head. "No, everything is quiet. A lot of things has happened here; a lot of mending. No one wishes to fight when there is no cause to fight for," Sha explained then motioned upstairs toward the large conference room. "Shall we?"

A chorus of mumbled agreements was heard from the group as Sha took the lead.

The room was identical to the one on Atlantis, even the table looked the same. The doors automatically closed behind them as John, being the last to enter, unconsciously gave the command.

Sha raised a cautious eyebrow as he took up a seat at the center. "I see I have a few things to learn," he let on with a smirk.

John shrugged casually as he plopped down on the chair at the end of the table. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rodney McKay sigh in annoyance as he sat down next to Sha and to the scientist's left he saw Teyla raise an impeccable eyebrow at him.

There was a sudden sharp knock on one of the panels surrounding the room, causing Ronon to look straight at Sha. "Expecting anyone?"

He nodded, his lips curling slightly upwards in amusement otherwise he kept a straight and neutral face. "A woman with a sharp wit and a short fuse that usually doesn't take no for an answer," he replied enigmatically.

John chuckled and shook his head. "We'd better let Lani in then," he said.

One of the large panels that enclosed the room, dividing it from the rest of the control room, slowly slid around its axis to reveal a petite woman with long black hair and golden eyes. She appeared anything but amused as she stood waiting to be let in with her hands on her hips. She was dressed in her light grey medical uniform that did nothing to hide her curved body. The hair was mostly pulled back by a bun leaving only a few strands to frame her face and highlight her high cheekbones.

John spared Rodney a discreet look and saw the scientist practically drool. He carefully leaned forward over the table and nodded at his friend. "Close your mouth Rodney," he quipped cockily.

"What?" I wasn't-" he protested. "I've met M.E Nadim before. In fact I've worked alongside her."

Lani, however, focused on the curly haired and laid back engineer that sat at the end of the table. "How did you do that?" she asked with her usual straight forwardness, thinking it was a practical joke.

"Don't look at me," he said innocently, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Think close and it closes – that is of course if you have the ATA gene," Rodney informed dryly, still annoyed at Sheppard.

"Another MOTA," Lani said with a raised eyebrow as she headed for last unoccupied chair, which happened to be between Ronon and Sheppard.

"MOTA?" Ronon asked with a frown.

"Magic of the Ancients," Sha filled in for him. "Leave it to Rackie to name things."

Lani gently sat down and placed a hand on her former patient's shoulder, her golden eyes sparkling softly. "Hello John, I'm glad to see you up and about," she said genuinely.

"And I'm glad to be up and about," he let on with a smirk. "Not that I didn't like your care. It's just that I have an aversion to hospitals."

"Is this supposed to be a meeting or what?" Rodney piped up, twiddling his thumbs unconsciously.

"I can never repay you Lani," John whispered in gratitude for her ears only.

"You've helped all of us, opened our eyes, and made us see things clearly. It is we who should thank you," she corrected in low tones.

"Since some of us are more eager than others," Sha said with a smirk as he cast a careful glance at Rodney who immediately stopped twiddling. "Maybe we should begin?"

John found himself with a smile on his lips. He and Sha would get along just fine.

"Who are these people?" Rackie asked as he reached for a pad and touched it gently to bring up a picture of the ancient ship in the middle of the room.

"They are travelers," Teyla said solemnly. "They are natives to this galaxy but their origin is not from one place but from many. Some of their home worlds didn't survive the Wraith cullings."

"They are remnants that don't belong anywhere," Ronon spoke up. "Many call themselves Travelers but the travelers are in fact many smaller groups. They live on board spaceships, constantly shifting position to avoid being taken by the Wraith. They usually do a pretty good job of hiding. I've only come across a faction once while I was a runner."

"But they are descendants too?" Dadan asked in confusion.

Rodney shook his head. "No, they're not. They may have come across an Ancient- or should I say Lantean ship – but they're not related. My guess is that they've excavated it from somewhere where no one will miss it."

"We have come across several worlds where Ancient technology has been present but not used," Teyla explained. "Or at least not used the way it should be."

"As you know by now, Lantean technology only responds to people that are ATA gene carriers. Some gadgets do respond to others too, if they have been initiated first, like life signs detectors for example," John pointed out.

"Brilliant engineers can bypass circuits, start up several components of a Lantean system but you have to know how to handle the rather sensitive equipment. Need to perfect your technique. One wrong thought or an unfocused moment can lead to disaster," Rodney cautioned. "And in this case I'd say it did."

"So they didn't fire on purpose?" Dadan questioned. "They didn't target the Stargate, as you call it?"

"Their trajectory is all wrong, indicating that they had engine troubles. The angle at which they directed the fire leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, I don't even think they meant to be that close to the planet," Rodney reasoned.

"What do you mean?" Sha asked curiously as he leaned back in his chair with his hands across his chest and narrowed his eyes.

"Askula's shields were set to protect all those years ago. It was set to protect from danger, from Wraith and their allies. It wasn't designed to fight off other Lanteans. My guess is that the shield pulled the ship through as it appeared in close proximity, causing whoever was trying to fly it to lose the little control he or she had over it."

"An unfortunate coincidence," Sheppard drawled. "A few more minutes, that's all I would've needed."

"Then we would still be fighting a civil war, the new city would lie in ruins and our people would have been decimated by an alien enemy we didn't know how to fight off as the shield came offline. The story of Askula and her brave inhabitants would have forever been lost," Sha mused, his voice hollow.

"They said they would one day return," Dadan filled in. "And you did come."

"A coincidence," Rodney reasoned.

"That is not what I chose to believe," Dadan argued softly. "But I accept that is your belief."

"So," Teyla broke in diplomatically. "What is going to happen now?"

"Our government has given us the all clear about using the Stargate the way you do," Sha informed as he focused his attention solely on Teyla for a moment. "The…what did he call it? Crash course? That Major Lorne has given us is one step in the right direction."

"Do you have access to every part of the city that's still intact?" John asked as he gingerly shifted in his chair, still feeling the injuries caused by Katan.

Sha shook his head. "Askula's size is impressive. Rackie and your Doctor Zelenka are still trying to piece together which sections that are still intact and fairly easy to access."

"They've taken over my work," Rodney filled in.

Sheppard couldn't help himself as he tilted his head and glanced toward his team mate. "I'm sure they can manage it, Rodney," he assured him with a teasing smirk.

"Doctor McKay was a great help in restoring most of the systems on the main frame and also in the process of repairing the overloaded failsafe system in the chair room," Sha explained.

"About that," John began. "The drone storage is zip. It won't be restocked. Atlantis' own supply is getting awfully low and we've not exactly figured out how they're made."

"If I hadn't been called away on missions, asked to fine tune other systems, constantly save someone's ass and so on, then maybe I would have had time to crack that little mystery," Rodney snapped.

"We didn't expect you to fill up our storage," Sha answered, ignoring the bickering team mates. I see no reason for us to use such weapons of mass destruction. This way it can't fall into wrong hands."

"I thought you said everything was well?" Rodney piped up curiously.

"For the moment," Sha replied with a shrug. "If we handle things correctly there will be no cause for concern. Anyway, as for the power distribution problem now that Askula has been disconnected from the overlaying city's yield will be solved by the building of two new power plants in the outskirts. We'll use sun power mostly but our most promising solar energy system is not up to the monstrous task of supplying the whole city and its suburban areas so several hydrogen factories will be used as well."

"The only problem is that it will take us several years to complete everything and reroute the distribution," Rackie added. "Therefore Askula will have to help until then. We will reconnect her temporarily but since we've been running on her old zero point modules for centuries I don't think the new ones will be drained in just a few years."

"I have another one with me," Rodney said, talking about a ZPM. "You'll connect it to the main power station so that it supports the shield."

Dadan smiled as he slowly vacated his chair. "Well, it has been good to know you all. Unfortunately I must go now."

"Dadan?" Teyla asked curiously as she saw the spark in the old man's eyes.

Lani quickly got up to aid him. When he shook his head at her efforts she gently squeezed his shoulder in a gesture of comfort and encouragement.

"Dadan and his people have been welcomed back to the city if they wish," Lani replied proudly. "However, our old master has never liked to sit still. He's come to an agreement with the government about leading excursions in the safe places of Askula and to help our historians to rewrite history the way it should be."

"I do expect that you come and visit in the future," the old man said softly, as he waited for the door to open. "I do in fact demand that you do."

"Dadan, I think you ought to see another city. Like your ancestors said; a city so vast, so brilliant in all its glory that it leaves you in awe. So filled with magic and wisdom-" Sheppard trailed off, thinking about a pictogram from the caves in the savages land. "You should see Atlantis, Dadan, that way you'll see how Askula once looked, before the Wraith took her apart."

"I do not deserve such honor," he said solemnly.

"Of course you do," Teyla reasoned. "You've helped us as much as anyone else."

"You're too kind, Teyla," he said humbly, his eyes moist as he glanced around the room. "All of you." With that he left the room in silence, his presence so rich that it left a void to fill.

Finally Sha spoke up. "I regret he won't live to see Askula being fully restored."

Sheppard's attention perked at the announcement. And he saw that he wasn't the only one.

"It's a long timetable set and it will take months just to plan but the money has already been marked for it. Askula will be freed of the overlaying city. Rackie is part of the group of engineers, scientists, geologists and structural specialists that will see to it," Sha explained and glanced at the engineer for further explanation.

"Ongoing repairs of the city will continue for a long time. When she's deemed ready and she holds in terms of structural integrity she will be- I suppose you could say excavated from where she's been sitting for the last ten thousand years. A new foundation will be inserted beneath the surface while Askula is being dug out. When she's no longer part of the foundation water will be pumped into the large cave that has been made. Askula is, like you said, made to sit on the ocean so she'll float and we'll use that to our advantage and let her float away from the upper city," Rackie said.

Rodney nodded, thinking it sounded like a fairly good idea. Not that he would ever admit such a thing. However, he always spotted other's weaknesses and like so many other times he went in for the kill. "That sounds like a terrific idea if it weren't for the fact that the top spire and a couple of larger buildings have been integrated in the so called new city," he said.

Rackie leaned forward to look at the scientist, not liking to be brought down, to be told that the plan that had been drafted had flaws. However, he'd counted on being countermanded. "As I said, it isn't a straight forward operation. There are challenges, big ones in fact. The top spire will be kept intact as we cut through the surface and create a sort of a channel for the tower to pass until the city is free. As for the other buildings they will be disassembled and then reassembled," he answered.

Rodney harrumphed.

"Looks like you have your job cut out for you," John mused.

Something sparked in Rackie's eyes and he enthusiastically began to talk again. "The idea is that she'll once again sit on top of the ocean like she's supposed to do. Repairs will then continue till that day when she's finally ready to fly again."

Rackie said it with such conviction that Sheppard saw no reason not to believe him. In fact he hoped they'd pull it off. Askula deserved that, she deserved to once again travel the galaxy. John just found himself in doubt that it would even be in his lifetime.

"I hate to bring you back to the present," Rodney began somewhat testily. "But are you capable of working Askula's system?"

Sha nodded. "You, Major Lorne, Captain Gaspari and several others from your expedition have been great assets when it comes to activating things that has been dormant for so long," he said. "I don't expect it to be smooth ride- a walk in the park as you say, but I'm intent on getting there no matter what happens."

"I've worked with Jennifer," Lani cut in. "She's been an invaluable help for me when it comes to screening the population in search for the ATA gene carriers. So far I regret to tell that there are none that have such a strong gene that they can operate any equipment."

"But you've found gene carriers?" Teyla asked.

Lani nodded. "Yes, Sha is one of them."

"I believe that Colonel Carter has given the all clear for Doctor Keller to aid you and to give some of you the gene therapy," Sheppard stated.

"That is correct, she'll gate over here in a week or so to begin," Lani added. "There is no major rush at the moment."

"There is only one thing that remains then," Sheppard said coyly as he shifted in his chair, remembering when he'd been in the same situation. "You'd better pick a team, Sha, and set up the base of operations."

The statement elicited a chuckle from the military man sitting a few chairs to his right. Then he nodded curtly. "Base of operations will be the military headquarters. Since the Wraith took an instant dislike in the last one and blew it up we've decided to move in here, in the top spire of Askula. As base commander and military organizer I'll unfortunately be stuck with a lot of paperwork and other trivial matters that concerns our society, but I'll try and get away from time to time."

"A sound word of advice," John said casually. "Delegate some of the paperwork to your SIC."

Sha chuckled again. "Already thought of that," he said. "Anyway, I like to have my Triple colleagues close so Lani and Rackie are given in my group. It leaves room for one more and who that's going to be-" he trailed off and spared a glance at his mentioned members. "I'll get back to you."

"A trained Alpha," Ronon suggested. "That's who I'd chosen. Someone who's not afraid of blowing those creeps to pieces should you stumble upon any."

"He means the Wraith," Rodney clarified.

"I'm sure they'd already guessed that, Rodney," Sheppard added sarcastically.

"There is one more thing," Sha said seriously, his voice stern, as he glanced around the room. "We are in debt to you even though you refuse to acknowledge it."

"Therefore, we've negotiated and reached an agreement," Rackie added cryptically as he got out of his chair.

"Askula has several of the craft you call puddlejumpers, in fact she's got more than she should have," Sha said with a wry smile.

"Who named it that anyway?" Rackie asked with a grimace.

Rodney leaned forward in his chair and glared at the engineer.

"Don't get him started," John said as he waved his hand lazily at Rodney.

"Anyway," Sha said, trying to break the tension that had settled in the room. "I dare to say we've something that belongs to you."

The Atlantis team members shared a confused look and followed the military organizer out of the room, up the staircase and down below in the large cavernous space that was the jumper bay.

There, neatly parked along the marked zones sat several intact jumpers. Sha walked up to one of them, the one which stood closest to a roof inlet. "I believe this one as well as the next one, is yours," he said.

John felt the jumper powering up on standby as he walked around the back with the rest of them following. The ramp lowered faithfully at his command.

Rackie strode past him and walked over to an auxiliary control station at the back of the jumper, reached in to push a lever to reveal several rods of power crystals, then smiled triumphantly. He scraped his fingernail on upraised letters written in Lantean till they were readable for everyone.

The old worn letters, their golden surface long gone, formed a name. A name that had always captivated people on earth for as long anyone could remember; it said Atlantis.

Rodney and John stared at each other, the former raising a curious eyebrow.

"Like I said, I think it belongs to you," Rackie said with a large grin, enjoying the look on their faces. "They must have been left behind in the battle when Atlantis made a run for it. I guess there was no way to catch up with her and they had to return here."

"I'll arrange for them to be brought back home," Sheppard said in appreciation.

"I'll drive one back," Rodney volunteered.

"Okay, then Teyla and Ronon will join you. I'll be with you shortly, bringing the other one back," Sheppard said.

"Don't know about that," Ronon said grumpily. "I've kind of had my yearly share with McKay in a jumper."

"Where are you going, John?" Teyla asked softly.

"There's something I have to do," he said, not really answering her question. "I'll be home shortly."

"Just make sure that you are. I'm not going to come get you again," Rodney returned sternly although his underlying worry for his friend gave him away.

Sheppard nodded as the rest of them walked into the jumper. He watched as the hatch closed behind them and stepped back as the vehicle powered up, lifted and headed for the Stargate.

"We'll scatter and return to our respective duties," Sha said from behind him as Rackie was already on his way toward the ICTW. Just call when you want to go home."

Sheppard nodded as Sha turned on his heels to walk away, leaving him alone with his thoughts. With a deep sigh he made for the staircase to the gate room once again and caught the end of the jumper being swallowed by the blue shimmer. He stared after it as the gate shut down, giving him a view of the large window behind it. He took a moment to glance around the room and noticed that the ornaments that marked the distinctly Lantean architecture had been restored with great care of the craftsmen on the planet. If it weren't for the slightly different material in the new wall behind the gate and the beautiful view of the large city below the spire that wasn't of Lantean design, he would have believed he was already on Atlantis.

John unconsciously strolled over to the balcony, the doors obediently opening before him. He walked out and gripped the railing with his hands, took a deep breath and let the crisp wind tousle his hair. Then, suddenly, he felt a presence next to him and turned to see Carson appear at his side.

"It's good to see you again, doc," John said seriously yet he broke into a wide smile.

 _"Aye, lad,"_ the Scottish doctor said as he too gripped the railing and glanced out over the rebuilding city.

Then they turned to look at each other, both silently scrutinizing the other for a while.

"There is so much I want to talk about," John began slowly. "So much I wanted to say."

 _"Spare that till later, John,"_ Carson said with a twinkle in his eyes. _"Life works in mysterious ways."_

John chuckled suddenly. "So that's it? No other explanation?" he asked curiously.

Carson shook his head _. "No, not really, lad. Well, maybe one more thing; stay out of trouble,"_ he added amusedly as he put a hand on John's shoulder. _"This is where you belong."_

Sheppard frowned. "On Askula?" he asked innocently, unable not to smirk.

 _"You know where I mean, John. Take care of them now; Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, Jennifer..."_

"I will, Carson, I will not let anything happen to them as long as I live," he promised.

The good doctor smiled as he began to shimmer out of existence. _"Of that I have no doubt, John. Just remember that they'll do the same for you."_

With that he was gone, leaving the colonel alone on the balcony.

Sheppard sighed, feeling weary all of a sudden, almost sad that this little adventure was over. He shook his head and he let out a deep breath as he turned to walk into the gate room once again.

John came to a halt just inside the door to the balcony and let his eyes roam over the room which was so familiar yet so alien to him. As he lifted his head and turned his eyes upward he saw Sha glancing down at him from where he stood on the gang way to what would have been the Expedition leader's office. He didn't acknowledge John at first, seemingly lost in thought, his hands, like John's had only minutes before, gripped the railing so hard the knuckles had turned white. Then suddenly the military man seemed to snap out of whatever was occupying his mind. John nodded at him and locked hazel green, determined eyes with Sha's piercing blue ones. They shared a look of mutual understanding before the blond man turned around and disappeared, only to turn up at the same floor as Sheppard the moment later.

Sha's uniform was crisp, the white half collar rising over the dark green jacket that his broad shoulders filled delicately. The mop of blond hair perfectly framing his high cheekbones and firm jaw. John found himself suddenly jealous of the friendship Teyla had started with this man but then quickly caught himself as he remembered the lovely Lani Nadim.

"I don't know," John drawled as he reached out his hand. "I can't say it's been a pleasure coming here-"

A faint smile flickered across Sha's lips as he gently shook John's hand. "No, I'll have to agree with you," he deduced sombrely.

"-the first time," John finished with a smile of his own. "Goodbye, Sha. It's time for me to head home. I believe my time is up."

"Anytime you'll decide to visit you're welcome to do so," Sha began seriously. "I'm glad we're on the same side."

"Likewise," John concurred as he nodded to his equal and then turned to quickly cross the room and start to head upstairs for the jumper bay. "Take care."

Sha nodded and gave him a moment to settle in the jumper while he headed up to the control stations. A middle aged technician glanced up as the Military Organizer appeared behind her. "Dial the gate," he commanded as they jumper was being lowered into the room.

John Sheppard smiled as the blue shimmer appeared in the middle of the ring. He longed to hear the waves lapping the piers of Atlantis and to see all his friends again.

OOOOOO

The end

 _/Wow, I'm finished. Thanks a lot for everything along the way folks. It's been somewhat tricky to write but I have enjoyed it anyway and treasured every review, alert and PM! Maybe this is the beginning of a series? I hate to let Sha, Lani, Rackie, Dadan and the others go ;) Take care now!_


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